


The Irony of It All

by thatwriterlady



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abusive John Winchester, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Attempted Sexual Assault, Attraction, Bible Thumping Preacher John Winchester, Bottom Castiel, Castiel Likes Dean Winchester, College Student Castiel, College Student Sam, Danger, Dating Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Likes Castiel, Dean Winchester and Feelings, Dominant Dean Winchester, Emotional Trauma, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fear, Fluff and Smut, Gabriel Has a Child, Guns, It's a Thrill Ride, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Kidnapping, Kissing, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Minor Character Death, Murder, Opening Up, Panty Kink, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Professor Castiel, Protective Gabriel, SPNMegaBang2016, Stalker, Stripper Castiel, Stripper Sam, Switching, Top Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 07:51:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 110,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11550777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: It was a craving for Arby’s that led him to drive to the next town that particular Wednesday night.  A night that would lead into the most ironic and crazy series of circumstances, and would lead Cas to the literal man of his dreams.  So what becomes of the exotic dancer come church van driver when he meets the disowned son of a fire and brimstone preacher?  And what happens when they fall in love?  It sure doesn’t stop the series of ironic twists that seem to be an ever present part of Cas’ life.  With crazy stalkers, Bible thumping church men, and skimpy thongs, it’s sure to be one hell of an adventure!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bear with me, I have to upload each chapter one at a time. I tried to do the draft upload, but AO3 glitched so bad that I had to take the whole thing down. Therefore I am forced to load it one chapter at a time. There A LOT of chapters. Please, have patience, it will all be uploaded today!
> 
> A special thank you to my wonderful artist, **Indigoneutrino**. She was wonderful to work with and made so much wonderful art for this story. I hope you all like it as much as I do.
> 
> That being said, any and all angst that occurs in this story IS NOT BETWEEN DEAN OR CAS. But there are several external forces that bring a hell of a lot of trouble into the story. So, those that have read my work before, you know what to do with your seat belts. This one is going to be a bumpy ride, but if you're familiar with my work, you should enjoy it very much. And, off we go...

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Cas popped another fry in his mouth as he bobbed his head along to the music.  The back roads were always quiet this time of night, but they were even moreso once the sun had gone down.  He’d driven this particular stretch enough times to know that between here and Whiting there was nothing but the adult store.  No small shops, no gas stations, nothing.  It was his damn obsession with Arby’s curly fries that brought him down this road on a once weekly basis, and he’d rather drive this questionable back road than be caught dead riding through the town in this van.  He had completed half of his once-weekly favor to his brother-in-law Jeremy, and at 10, he would complete the other half.  

 

Since the head pastor’s brother Bobby had moved to Colorado, there wasn’t anyone available (more like no one was willing) to transport people to and from the church where Jeremy was a new pastor.  That was what led to his sister Anna calling him up 3 months earlier to plead with him, begging him to _please_ drive the church van.  It was only once a week, and he just had to pick the people up at their houses by no later than 7:30 and then drop them off again after worship.  He got to use the church van and received a $20 stipend that he used to buy Arby’s once a week.  Well, truth be told, most fast food places were up in Whiting, so it wasn’t exactly Arby’s he hit every week, and it wasn’t always burgers and fries that he bought.  There was a place there called the Roadhouse that made the most fabulous Cobb salad, and he liked to indulge once in awhile.  Today though, he’d stopped at Arby’s.  It was an indulgence that he only allowed himself once a week.

 

He liked to think of it as a reward for having to put up with the people he had to pick up, from the Bible-thumping old folk to the single mothers that would not stop flirting the entire ride to and from the church.  Anna had asked him politely to keep his orientation to himself, not because she was ashamed but because the head pastor was the type of guy to preach about fire and brimstone for anyone living a lifestyle that he deemed sinful.  The man was more than just a little homophobic, as she had explained.  

 

Sure, he was gay but unless he started flirting with another guy, most of the time no one ever knew.  He carried himself with a sure air and had a deep voice that seemed to make women sigh.  Anna had told him that his voice, combined with his blue eyes and his chiseled jaw, were why women were drawn to him.  Aside from the fact that he was just nice.  So he was forced twice every week to decline dates and politely put distance between himself and the women flirting heavily with him:  once on Wednesday evenings when he ran the transport and once on Sundays when he showed up to hear his brother-in-law’s sermon.  He wasn’t Baptist, but he believed in supporting family and hey, what the head pastor didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

 

He popped another fry in his mouth and changed the channel on the radio. No satellite radio for this church, no sir.  Classic rock spilled out, bringing a smile to his face.  Just as he reached for another fry, something made a clunking noise under the hood.  The noise was loud enough to alarm him.  Half a mile later the “check engine” light came on.  When smoke began to billow out from under the hood, he looked around frantically for a safe place to pull over.  Unfortunately, on this stretch of road there was a drop-off.  To stop now would be to stop _in_ the road, and he’d likely get hit.  

 

The entrance to a parking lot appeared up on his left and even though he knew to what business it belonged (oh, the irony!), he steered the van into it, sliding into a spot near the door.  With a sigh he put it in park and killed the engine.  It was shortly after 9.  They wouldn’t expect him back at the church until 10.  Tonight was adult worship and Bible study, something he had zero interest in, hence the reason he was now stranded 6 miles from the church in an adult store’s parking lot.  Laughter bubbled up from his chest as he thought about it.  He reached into his back pocket for his phone, only remembering a moment too late that he’d left it in Jeremy’s office to charge since there was no way to charge it in the ancient van anyway.

 

“Fuck!” he grumbled.  After closing up his bag of food, he climbed out.  Looking up, he watched the sign for a moment.  XXX flashed bright against the night sky followed by the silhouettes of 2 naked women.  He hoped the people that ran the place were decent.  It wasn’t like he hadn’t frequented places like this in his youth, but it had been a while since he’d stepped foot in one, and he’d never been inside this one.  It was a bit…too close to home for his taste, and he didn’t want to be recognized later somewhere in town by a sales rep that happened to have photographic memory.  The very thought was embarrassing.  Breaking down and being forced to go inside though?  That wasn’t quite as bad.

 

Cas pulled the door open and stepped inside.  He was immediately confronted by a variety of blowup dolls, including one chained to a rack and wearing nipple clamps.  How that didn’t pop the doll, he had no idea.  It was humorous to say the least. With a chuckle he made his way to the counter.  So far he hadn’t seen a single other person in here, customer or employee, despite the 2 other cars in the parking lot.

 

“Hello?”  he called out.  Somewhere in a back room came the sound of boxes toppling over.

 

“Be right with you!”  someone called back.  Cas took a moment to look around.  The place was…colorful.  Mannequins dressed in lingerie stood against one wall, a table displayed a myriad of dildos in different shapes and sizes, and a door at the back had a sign over it that identified it as “The Porn Room.”  Classy.  He leaned back on the counter as he looked at the nearby shelves.  Edible panties, dildos, anal plugs (he needed a new one of those), vibrators, clamps, fuzzy cuffs, lube, cupless bras (what exactly was the benefit of those?), lotions, crotchless panties, the list just went on and on.  He was eyeing a rack of penis keyrings when something heavy was dropped on the floor behind the counter.  He startled and spun around, finding himself face to face with what was probably the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on in his life.

 

“Hi, sorry, I was trying to restock some stuff, and I didn’t know where anything was back there.  It’s not my store,” the man said quickly.

 

“It’s ok, I’m not here on…business,”  Cas said carefully.  “The vehicle I am driving this evening broke down and I couldn’t stop on the side of the road, so I crawled up here and parked it in your lot.  Then I realized I forgot my phone.  Do you have one I could use to call a tow truck and let my sister know what happened?”

 

“It broke down, huh?  This is your lucky day then; I’m a mechanic.  This is my friend’s store.  I’m just manning it a few nights this week because her wife went into labor.”  The man wiped his hands on his jeans before thrusting one out at him.  “My name’s Dean.”

 

Cas smiled as he shook it.  “I’m Cas.  You’re really a mechanic?  You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

 

“So, you’re right out here in the lot?”  Dean started for the door and Cas followed.

 

“Y-yes, but please don’t laugh when you see what I’m driving.  I was only doing it as a favor.”

 

Dean was just about to open his mouth and ask him why he thought he might laugh but they were stepping outside and his eyes immediately fell on the van.

 

“Oh.  Oh…”  And he was laughing.  Hard.  Cas sighed and rolled his eyes.

 

“Yes, yes, I know.”

 

“No, dude, it’s ok.  So you replaced Bobby as the driver?  I heard it was a younger guy.  The ladies talk about you down at the shop.  A lot.  I never quite caught your name though.”  Dean motioned towards the door.  “I do all the maintenance on these vans, and I’m a little upset that this one broke down.  Go ahead and pop the hood for me, ok?”

 

Cas nodded and hurried to complete the request.  He came around the front to watch as Dean waved away the remaining smoke and really took a look at things.

 

“Well, for starters, the radiator hose busted.  Secondly?  The transmission smells like it’s burning fluid.  Not good.”  He peeked at the VIN number and then pulled out his phone, scrolling through his pictures.  “Wait, the church has three vans.”

 

“Four.  Pastor Winchester invested in a fourth about three months ago,”  Cas corrected.  Dean frowned and double checked the VIN again.

 

“Yeah, and I haven’t worked on this one, which means he bought a lemon.  Again.  I keep telling Jody to check with me first before she lets him buy a new one.  Fine, I’ll arrange for it to be towed to my shop.  You go ahead and call your sister, tell her to let John know it’s going to my shop.  Eastside Auto.”  Dean handed over his phone, and Cas smiled politely before dialing his sister’s number.  It rang 6 times before going to voicemail.  He left a message, but he knew she would likely forget it was there until sometime tomorrow, unless she actually realized he was missing.

 

“Can I text her instead?  So she sees the message come up on her screen?  I’m sure she’s still running her Bible study class.”

 

“Sure.”  Dean was back fiddling under the hood.  “Who’s your sister?”

 

“Anna Matthews.  She’s married to Pastor Jeremy Matthews,”  Cas replied as he sent his sister a detailed text telling her where he was and what exactly had happened.  When he was done he handed the phone back, and then it was Dean’s turn to shoot off a text.

 

“I’ll get Benny down here now to get the van.  I know the good pastors of Westside Baptist don’t want their name tarnished by having one of their vans in the parking lot of an adult novelty shop,”  Dean was joking, and it made Cas chuckle.

 

“I’m sure.  I find it ironic though.”

 

Dean arched one eyebrow and smiled.

 

“If you’re not one of the thumpers, how exactly did you get wrangled into driving around the single moms and holy rollers?”

 

Cas laughed.  “I owed my sister a favor.  I will not continue to do this; I’ve told them that.  They have til school starts back up to find a driver.  It might seem scandalous, but I’m not even Baptist.”

 

“The scandal!”  Dean clutched at his chest in mock disgust before bursting into laughter.  “Hell, I’m not religious at all.  Only reason I have anything to do with the church is because I have family involved in it.  So I do vehicle maintenance at a discounted rate.”

 

“So this van is basically fucked?”  Cas asked.

 

There was merriment dancing in Dean’s green eyes as he grinned and nodded.

 

“Yeah, pretty much.  I can fix it, but it’s going to put a crimp in the church’s budget.  Or maybe not, they’re pretty well off.  Transmissions are not cheap.”  Dean closed the hood and turned to look at him.  “You’re welcome to wait inside, unless you feel you might be corrupted.”

 

Cas snorted and opened the van door to grab his drink and bag of food.

“Nah, I’ve been in shops like this before.”  He certainly wasn’t going to mention that he had just been three towns over at one a few months earlier.

 

“Well, cool.  I will refrain from messaging John.  He’ll have a stroke.  But I’ll let his wife know.”  Dean sent out another text as they walked back to the shop.  He held the door open for Cas and followed him back inside.

 

“Can I ask a question?”  Cas stopped a few feet inside the door almost causing Dean to walk into him.

 

“Sure.”

 

Cas pointed at the doll with the nipple clamps.  “How are the clamps not popping the doll?”

 

Dean followed his finger to look at the doll in question.

 

“Oh.  You know, I don’t know.  Let’s find out.”  He marched over to the wall and after a moment of intense observation, he slowly unclamped one nipple.

 

“Well, either Charlie rigged it to be looser or it’s meant to be that way.  It’s a lot less pressure than a normal clamp.  I guess it’s for the people into BDSM but can’t handle the level of pain that comes with the stronger clamps.”  He carefully replaced it and stepped back to make sure the clamps were even.

 

“Interesting.”  Cas had meant it as simply that.  It was interesting that there were more than one kind of nipple clamp, not that he had any interest in having them used on himself.  However, the look Dean gave him was downright mischievous.

 

“What?”

 

Dean’s laugh was deep, throaty, and it raised goosebumps on Cas’s arms.

 

“Nothing.”

 

He started for the counter and Cas followed.

 

“You can eat your food right here.”  He patted the counter.  “But do it from this side, so you can sit down.”

 

Cas moved around the counter and almost fell when he tripped on the box Dean had set down earlier.

 

“Whoa, gotcha!”  Dean’s arms shot out and caught him before he went face first over the box and pulled him back to his feet.  He was still astonished that he hadn’t lost his drink, though he had dropped his bag of food.  Thankfully it was closed up tight so nothing spilled.  Stepping back, he ended up pressing his back against Dean’s chest.

 

“Oh, sorry.  I didn’t see the box.”

 

“It’s my fault, it was heavy and I dropped it as soon as I got out here.  Are you ok?”

 

Dean took a step back.  Barely.  Cas set the drink on the counter and gingerly stepped around the box, reaching down to grab his food along the way.

 

“Nothing worse than a stubbed toe.  I’ll be fine,”  Cas assured him.  Dean motioned to the stool behind him.

 

“You can sit there.  Hopefully my stocking the shelves won’t throw you off from your dinner.”

 

“You could be stocking penile piercings, and I’d be cool with whatever is in that box.  It really doesn’t matter to me.”  Cas shrugged as he sat down and opened his bag up.  His fries were mostly cold now but he didn’t care, he’d still eat them.

 

“You’re pretty damn cool, Cas.”  Dean sounded impressed as he grabbed a box cutter from somewhere Cas hadn’t noticed and cut the box open.  Curiosity was his downfall and as he took a bite of his sandwich, Dean bent back the edges of the box lid to reveal that it was filled with a myriad of sex toys.  Right away he spotted vibrators and anal plugs, beads and animal shaped things he wasn’t even sure what they were.

 

“Wow, they sure sell a wide variety of stuff here,” he said after swallowing his bite of food.

 

“I don’t even know what half the stuff is here.  This is the second time I’ve filled in.  The first time she broke her foot and needed surgery, so I manned the store in the evenings while her usual employees ran it during the day.  Her wife went into labor tonight, so I’ll be here tonight and tomorrow, until she can make other arrangements.”  Dean was busy sorting out the items by color and design as well as purpose.  He had a tablet he was entering items into.  Behind him a printer started going off.  Labels with prices began sliding out and Dean reached around him to grab them.

 

“She keeps things rather updated, technologically,” he explained as he began sticking labels on the various items.  Cas picked up a package with a rather large looking anal plug, wondering briefly if it would feel good.  A peek at the back told him it took batteries.  So it was a _vibrating_ plug.  Interesting.

 

“Oh, that’s, uh…”  Dean looked like he wanted to pluck it from Cas’ hands and save him from embarrassment, but it appeared to be Dean that was feeling embarrassed.

 

“I know what it is.  I have several already, though none this big.  It’s alright; I’m a big boy.  I won’t damage the goods or open anything.  But I’d like to read the rest of the packaging for this one.”  Cas heard the little huff of air that slipped through Dean’s lips at his words, and he knew he had caused the man to become speechless.  He looked up to find green eyes watching him with a mixture of shock and amusement.  Finally he seemed to come to his senses.

 

“So, you have a few?”  Dean’s voice cracked at the question, and Cas knew the curiosity was just going to eat at him if he didn’t at least ask.  He wished he knew which way the man swung because as nice as Dean was, he deserved better than just a one night stand.  Setting the package back down on the counter, he swirled the stool around so he was facing Dean.

 

“I do.  I have a lot of items from stores like this. I’m a single man and I don’t fool around with one night stands.  I don’t want to catch anything.  Things like this.”  He made a sweeping gesture towards the items on the counter.  “They keep me clean for when I find someone I actually want to be with.”

 

“Yeah, I get that.  I have a few... _toys_ of my own.  Shit, if we weren’t standing in the middle of a sex shop with a counter full of plastic dicks in front of us, I’d say this was the weirdest conversation I could be having with someone I just met, but seeing as we are, I’d say it’s probably completely normal.” Dean laughed.  Cas had resumed eating his sandwich and finished it in only a couple more bites.

 

“This is true.  I bet you have a pocket pussy at home.  Am I right?”  Cas was trying to get some kind of gauge on Dean’s orientation.  He wanted to flirt with the man, maybe get his number and see if he wanted to go out sometime, but that wouldn’t happen if the man was straight, or already with someone.  Dean chuckled but didn’t outright deny it.

 

“Technically, yes, I have one, but it was a gag gift from my brother for my 21st birthday.  I tried it once, it felt weird as hell, so I shoved it in the back of my closet and that’s where it probably still is, unless he stole it.  If he did, that’s really freaking gross.”

 

“I agree, that would be gross.  I buy most of my stuff online but some things I go into shops for.  They’re apparently making a lot of new stuff though.  It’s…intriguing.”  He threw a coy look over his shoulder before leaning over to grab what looked like a curved dildo that had some sort of strange appendage on it.

 

“Those are for women.  It’s called a rabbit.  You turn that thing up to high and it vibrates really fast.  They sell well if the inventory is anything to go by.”  Dean pointed to the empty shelf slot a few feet away.

 

“Makes sense.  Women need pleasure too, and it doesn’t necessarily include us men.”  Cas set the rabbit on the counter and leaned back, placing his elbows on it.  His shirt pulled tight, riding up a few inches to reveal the smooth skin of his stomach.  He knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

 

“And you?  You take care of the women in your life?”  Dean asked.  Cas scoffed and cocked his head as he looked up at him.

 

“The only women in my life are my sister and 2 nieces.  I am not attracted to women, if that’s what you’re getting at, but I do an excellent job of taking care of the men in my life.”

 

Dean nearly dropped the tablet.  His cheeks burned red, which made his freckles stand out even more.

 

“Oh, that’s…that’s good.  Yeah, uh, I like to do that too.  Take care of people.  O-outside my family, I mean.”  He winced, realizing how silly that sounded, but Cas got it.

 

“So, how much does this plug cost?”  Cas picked it up again and looked at it.  Dean hadn’t added a price sticker yet.  He was busy looking at the tablet again.

 

“It says here…$45. Ouch, that’s pricey.”  Dean frowned and looked at the blue piece of plastic trapped inside its packaging.  It wasn’t nearly as blue as the other man’s eyes.

 

“For all of the help you’ve given me tonight, I’m going to go ahead and help us both.  I’ll buy it.”

 

Dean gaped for a minute before coming to his senses.  Cas wanted the plug.  The large, vibrating plug.  He was going to go home and stuff himself full with it, turn it on and bring himself to climax.  It threatened to make him hard in his pants just thinking about it.

 

“S-sure.  Come over to the register.”  Dean started for it at the other end of the counter, barely catching the other man’s comment about _“Darn right I’ll be coming”_ , and feeling himself actually starting to get hard.  What in the hell?  He’d only been with 3 guys in his life total, and only one he’d had actual sex with.  The first had been mutual blow jobs when he was 19, the second had been with an actual guy he’d wanted to get serious with who had ended up utterly betraying him.  

 

The last had been Victor.  Two months in, though, and Victor had gotten a job a few towns over, and their schedules were going to be too conflicting to continue seeing each other.  It paid nearly triple what he was making at that time, and that was more important than their relationship.  Dean didn’t blame him though, the job was excellent, would give Vic the security he needed, and paid phenomenal.  He’d sent the man away with his blessing.  

 

This though?  Cas had clearly stated he was gay and while he wasn’t flaunting it, he was definitely flirting.  It wasn’t like guys didn’t flirt all the time, because they did, but Cas was in a different sort of league.  For one, he wasn’t trying to bend him over and fuck him right here in the store (not that the idea of sex in a sex shop wasn’t highly appealing, but Sam was technically around here somewhere), and for two, he had stated that he wasn’t the type that was into casual sex.  The last year or so, casual sex was all Dean had done.  He was clean, especially after a scare last summer when someone he’d slept with had come back to let him know they’d contracted herpes, but they didn’t know if it was before or after they’d slept with him.  He had gotten tested every month for 9 months until he and his doctor were certain he was clean.  His fear was getting sores in his mouth.  He’d never be able to kiss someone again, and that thought had scared him horribly.

 

Ringing Cas up and accepting the payment was a quick matter, but it was surreal to be selling a sex toy to a man that he was more than just a little interested in.  Especially when he had all sorts of thoughts going through his head, wondering how the man would look spread out on his bed, naked save for that plug.  After tucking the package into a discreet brown bag for him, they moved back down the counter to where they’d been before.  Cas still had some fries he was working on, as well as his drink, and in order to get the tightness in his pants to go away, he decided a change of topic was in order.

 

“So, Cas, what exactly do you do that you have Wednesday evenings free to drive the church van?”

 

Cas was throwing his bag from his food in the can behind them when Dean asked.  He froze, and Dean didn’t miss that.

 

“I…am in the entertainment industry.”

 

Well, that was vague.  Deciding that maybe it was ok to do a little flirting of his own, he licked his lips and smiled.

 

“So what, you’re doing porn?  If I go in the back room there, am I going to find you in a dozen different movies?”

 

Cas didn’t laugh this time as he sat back down, and he didn’t seem to realize Dean was finally flirting with him either.

 

“No, I’ve never been in a porno, not that I haven’t had some offers.  I’d just rather have sex with someone I care about than with my coworkers.”  At least he was smiling.

 

“Well, now I’m intrigued.  Entertainment industry.  That’s a pretty broad category.”  Dean leaned on the counter right next to where Cas was sitting and offered his most charming smile.  He considered it a win each time those blue eyes flickered down to his lips.  God, what he would give to kiss him breathless!

 

“It is a broad category.  I am also a student in the last semester of my last year.”

 

“Oh?  What are you earning a degree in?”  Dean was curious.  If it turned out the man wanted to be a lawyer like his brother, he would not be surprised in the slightest.

 

“Science, and education,”  Cas replied.  Ok, so maybe the guy was even more interesting than he’d first anticipated.

 

“Science?  That’s pretty cool.  My brother’s in school to be a lawyer.  He just finished his BA at Stanford and came home for the summer.  He’ll be finishing up his law degree and taking the bar when he heads to Harvard in August.”  Dean was proud of his brother.  Almost as if his ears were burning, Sam came walking out of the movie room.

 

“It’s all organized, new movie cases are on the shelves in alphabetical order.  Charlie said the actual movies get filed under the counter in the file cabinets.”  He stopped short when he saw Cas sitting behind the counter.  “Oh, hello.”

 

“Hello.”  Cas smiled politely, all flirting stopped immediately.  Dean was more than a little disappointed by that.

 

“Cas here drives the transport for Wednesday’s church service, and the van broke down as he was coming back from Whiting, so he pulled in here.  Lucky for him, I was working tonight,”  he explained.  Sam nodded in understanding.

 

“You did luck out, but the irony of one of the vans being here?  I need a picture of that.”  Sam was gone a second later, rushing out the front door.

“So that’s my brother, Sam,”  Dean said by way of a belated introduction.

 

“Well, he seems nice.”  The corners of his mouth twitched as Cas looked up at him.  Dean huffed out a small laugh, shaking his head as he returned to sorting through the various packaged items he needed to shelve.  For a few minutes they fell into an awkward silence.  After Dean had finished his sorting he found the correct aisle and began restocking shelves.  Cas appeared at his side, wordlessly joining in the task.  A few minutes of that was more than Dean could bear though.

 

“Hey, uh, this might seem weird, but could I maybe take you out sometime?” he blurted.  His cheeks were so on fire that he could feel his entire face and neck flushing red.  There was a look of surprise on Cas’ face, but it was quickly replaced with a more pleased expression.

 

“You.  You want to take _me_ out?”

 

Dean swallowed around the lump in his throat and nodded.

 

“Yeah, I mean, if that’s something you’d be ok with.”

 

“I’d be more than ok with it.  When were you thinking?”  Cas asked.

 

“Well, I am not working here Friday.  Sam’s doing that with our friend Jo.  Would you be available for dinner then?”

 

Cas didn’t even care that he would have to rearrange his work schedule.  Without thinking he blurted “Yes!”

 

Dean smiled, some of his previous nervousness fading.

 

“Awesome.”

 

They were both smiling at one another with big, dopey grins when Sam walked back in.

 

“I’m so tempted to put this up online, but John might hunt me down and smite me himself if I do,” he laughed.  His attention was still on his phone so he didn’t notice the looks Cas and Dean were sharing.

 

“He’s an asshole.  If you want to put them up, put them up,”  Dean said, turning his attention to his brother.

 

“Nah, it could come back to bite Cas here, and he doesn’t need to be the subject of the good pastor’s anger.”  Sam offered Cas a sympathetic smile and received a thank you in return.

 

“By the way, Benny’s out there right now.  Dragged Rufus with him.  They were cranky until I pointed out the church van.  Now they can’t stop laughing.”  Sam directed his words to his brother.  Dean chuckled and headed for the door.

 

“Thanks for letting me know.  I need to talk to them about it real quick.”

Cas moved back to the stool behind the counter while Sam leaned on it from the other side, pointedly ignoring the sex toys scattered across it and smiled at Cas.

 

“So, you from around here?”

 

“No, actually.  I’m from Illinois.  My sister met Jeremy, the associate pastor, while on a vacation about 10 years ago with some friends of hers and they hit it off so well that she packed everything up and moved here to be near him.  They married a year later.  I had a falling out with our parents when I came out as gay, and I needed familial support, so Anna told me to come out here and stay with her.  I had just finished with my BA and I was all alone, so I packed up what little belongings I had and moved into their basement.  My brother decided to spring it on our folks that he’s bi right after that and they were a bit…furious.  His wife had abandoned him and their daughter and it was his turn to need support from the family, so he packed up and moved here too.  We got a place together, and about 7 years ago he moved out.  I got a better paying job and bought a condo.  Then I went back to school.  I’ve been in school ever since.  This is officially my last semester, then I’ll be taking on a teaching position at SIU.”

 

Cas hadn’t meant to pour his heart out like that to this man he didn’t know, but Sam’s expression was so open and friendly it was hard not to.

 

“Well good for you, and it’s fantastic that you and your brother and sister are so close.  That’s how Dean and I are.  Since our mom died all we’ve had is each other.  Our dad remarried and our stepmother is nice and all, but our dad is not, so we don’t really interact with them much.  Once in awhile we’ll see our little brother around town and stuff, and without our dad knowing it, we hang out with him sometimes. He’s a good kid. Dean’s doing what he always wanted to do, which is own an automotive repair shop, and I’m finishing up law school.  I can’t wait to be done with it.”  Sam sighed.

 

“I know the feeling.  This is the end of my doctorate.  The thesis I’m working on is a royal bitch,”  Cas murmured.

 

“Doctorate?  Wow.  You’re in medical school?”

 

“I want to teach, not practice medicine.  I’ll be teaching anatomy and physiology,”  Cas explained.

 

“That’s still pretty damn cool,”  Sam told him.

 

“Ok, so that’s taken care of.  Rufus is out there cackling like an old hen.  By the way, he might be Jewish, but he plays the organ for the church on Sundays, so this is especially hilarious to him.”  Dean was grinning as he stepped back behind the counter, ignoring the shelf restocking for the moment and coming to stand next to Cas.

 

“Oh, is he the man that always glares out across the congregation as he plays music?  I thought Pastor Winchester was scary, but Rufus has him beat, I think,”  Cas said.  Dean and Sam both laughed.

 

“Yeah, he’s an old friend of John’s, and of the family.  He’s gruff and comes off seeming to be a lot meaner than he actually is.  His day job is as a mechanic at my shop.”  Dean liked Rufus and was used to his gruff demeanor.

 

“Good to know.  Still, I’d rather stay on his good side.”  The corners of Cas’ mouth turned up slightly as he spoke.  It just made the man all the more beautiful as far as Dean was concerned.  His phone rang in his pocket but he didn’t recognize the number.

 

“Hello?”  He said as he answered it.

 

“Oh, hello, my name is Anna Matthews.  I’m looking for my brother, Castiel.  He called from this number earlier?”

 

Dean looked over at Cas as he spoke.

 

“Yes, ma’am, he’s right here.”  He handed the phone over.  “It’s your sister.”

Cas felt a bittersweet kind of relief as he accepted the phone.  On one hand, he was glad his sister was finally responding, but on the other he was enjoying being here with Dean and Sam.  They were pleasant and very nice.  Plus Dean was hot and totally into him.

 

“Hello, Anna,” he greeted the woman.

 

“Cas!  What exactly happened?  You’re at an _adult store_?”

 

He chuckled and launched into a quick explanation of what had happened, and what Dean was doing about getting the van towed out of the parking lot quickly so John was not too upset about it.

 

“He knows already, and he yelled at Jeremy for it.  I stepped in and gave that man an earful myself.  He tried to blame you for the van breaking down except Jeremy explained about the transmission being out of fluid, and that it was John who had failed to get the new van checked out.  He stormed back to his office and slammed door so hard the entire congregation heard it.  That was a ridiculous accusation.  He told Jeremy he was foolish for relying on someone irresponsible to drive transport.  I told him if he was so unhappy with you driving it, he could drive it himself.  I thought his head might explode.”  She sounded almost gleeful as she explained the fight that had gone down not 10 minutes earlier.

 

“Yeah?  Well, fuck him.  What if I’d gone over the cliff because _he_ couldn’t keep the van properly maintained?  I’d have sued him, if I’d have survived, and his entire stupid church.  Jeremy really needs to change churches.”  Cas was bitter.  He didn’t like John Winchester, and a reaction like this to the van breaking down didn’t help that feeling at all.

 

“Honey, I know,” she said softly, trying to soothe his anger.  “My sentiment was much the same.  Not very Godly, I suppose, but he is a cruel man.  Jeremy and I will be there in about an hour.  We have to drop some people off.  Will that be alright?  Can you hang on until then?”

 

“Yeah, that’s fine.  I can hang around here for another hour or so while they drop people off, right?”  Cas directed his words to Dean who nodded just a bit too enthusiastically, and then blushed hard when Sam snickered.  Cas smiled at him.  “Yes, it’s fine.”

 

“Alright.  I will call when we’re out front then.  Be safe.”

 

“I will.”  He heard her hang up and handed the phone back to Dean.  “Thank you for everything you’ve done tonight for me; I appreciate it, even if Pastor Winchester does not,” he said.

 

“Yeah, well, that man wouldn’t appreciate God if he came and stood in front of John to personally invite him to heaven, so I wouldn’t worry about it.  I primarily deal with his secretary, Ellen, not him, and I prefer it that way,”  Dean said, waving a hand dismissively.

 

“So, an hour.  It’s dead tonight.  Who’s up for making fun of porn movie titles?”  Sam asked.  Cas and Dean both grinned.

 

“Heck yeah!”  they agreed.

 

[](http://imgur.com/yZaQR8X)


	2. Chapter 2

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Cas couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun.  By the time his brother-in-law pulled up, his stomach ached from laughing harder than he had in years, and he was still grinning as he slid into the backseat.  Anna turned around to hand him his phone and charger.

 

“So, I’m guessing it wasn’t traumatizing being in there?” she asked.  Cas quirked an eyebrow at the smirk on her lips.  She might be a preacher’s wife, but he knew his sister.

 

“Not at all.  The owner’s wife was having her baby tonight, so a friend was manning the place with his brother.  We just sat around talking and getting to know one another.”

 

“That’s nice, you’re making some new friends.”  She seemed pleased.  Jeremy glanced at his wife but said nothing.  He wasn’t a particularly judgmental man and for that, Cas was grateful.  If Jeremy had been sexist or homophobic Anna would not have married him.  Family was important to her, and she’d always been one of his most staunch supporters.  His brother Gabe being another.

 

“I sort of have a date, too.”  Cas sucked his lower lip into his mouth, where he worried it between his teeth.

 

“And you’re worried he’ll think poorly on your job.  Well, you won’t be doing that much longer but honestly, if he has a problem with it, then he doesn’t deserve you.”  She always had a way of soothing his worst fears.  Another thing he was grateful for.

 

“Yeah, you’re right.”

 

“Besides, soon you’ll be a bona fide _doctor_.  You’ll have men falling at your feet just to be in your good graces.”  Jeremy added, smiling at Cas in the rear view mirror.  Cas smiled back.  He doubted that would be happening, but he appreciated the fact that Jeremy wanted him to find someone he could settle down and be happy with.

 

“So, tell me, this date, do I get a name?”  Anna asked excitedly.  It brought back fond memories of when they were kids, gossiping late at night about the boys they had crushes on.

 

“His name is Dean.”  He could feel the excitement building again thinking about the date.

 

“And?  I need details.  Is he tall?  Short?  What color are his eyes?  And what is he like?”

 

Cas laughed.  Even Jeremy was chuckling.

 

“He’s tall, just a little taller than me.  His brother is much taller though.  And he has green eyes.  He’s absolutely the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on.  I didn’t think he was interested at first, but then he surprised me by asking _me_ out first.  He’s funny and thoughtful, and I like him.  I’m looking forward to our date.”

 

“Well, I hope it works out.  Keep it on the down low that you got a date at an adult store.  Pastor Winchester might actually have a stroke.  He despises that place and has organized protests against it in the past.  There are now restraining orders against him and everyone that participated in that mess.  It was before I joined the church, and I think before the current owners bought it.  It made nationwide news maybe 6?  7 years ago?  I have no problem with the place.  Judgment is mine, sayeth the Lord.  It’s not my place to judge the owners or the people that shop there,”  Jeremy said.

 

 

Cas tucked his brown paper bag that contained his plug behind his back, suddenly embarrassed.  He’d really just bought it to get a rise out of Dean, not because he needed it, though he was eager to try it out.

 

“Uh, yeah, I remember that.  For a time it was worse than Westboro, if I remember correctly.”

 

“It was, but then Chuck and the others on the elder council laid down new rules, and John has no choice but to either follow them or leave.  So…he follows them.  Doesn’t stop him from banishing anyone he deems unworthy.  I heard he banished a couple of his own kids.  And it’s not like they’re awful people or anything either.  I couldn’t imagine pushing my children away.”  Jeremy frowned.  He and Anna had a 7 year old, a 3 year old and a 2 year old.  Cas couldn’t picture his brother-in-law or his sister pushing the kids away either.  And if they ever did, he’d be there in a heartbeat.

 

“Because you’re not an asshole.  You actually love your kids.  I doubt he knows how.  You see how he bosses around his son Adam?  The kid is so skittish when John’s around. Like he’s afraid that breathing will make his father mad.”  Cas felt bad for the boy.  When John was not there he relaxed and was a friendly, outgoing kid, but when his father was there?  The boy stood at attention, hands clasped in front of him, only speaking when spoken to, nervous eyes flickering up to watch John, constantly hoping for the man’s approval.  Cas knew all too well what that felt like.  He had craved his own father’s attention all of his own childhood, and barely ever received any of it.  And coming out as gay?  That was the final straw for a perpetually disappointed father, and he was shut out of his parents’ life from that point on. Ten years.  That’s how long it had been since he’d last spoken to them.  Anna was the only one they still spoke to, and even she had managed to disappoint them by converting to a different religion. She barely talked to them now, and she was fine with that.  Their opinion of her life didn’t affect her one way or the other. She was happy, had a beautiful family that included both of her brothers and her niece, and a good life.  Leaving the Catholic faith was not the end of the world, but their parents acted like it was.

 

Ironically the only one that still identified as Catholic, though he was more of a lay one than anything now, was Cas.  Gabe considered himself Agnostic and refused to discuss religion in his home. Both Anna and Cas respected his wishes. The years of church twice every week and Catholic school were far behind them all. It wasn’t something any of them wished to relive. Cas powered his phone up and smiled when he saw a text from a new number.

 

**(815) 555-2666:** Hey, it’s me, Dean.  Just saying hi and making sure you had my number too.  Let me know you got home ok.

 

Cas quickly saved the number.  He was trying not to let his self-doubt worm its way back in.  Dean was so nice and very sweet.  What was he going to expect though on their date?  There had been too many guys that had asked him out solely because they thought he was hot and wanted to get into his pants.  He needed to know what Dean expected from him.  That was something that he hadn’t had the courage to ask in front of Sam.

 

**Cas:**  I am almost to the church now.  It’s only 5 minutes from there.  Can I ask you a question?

 

Dean replied almost immediately.

 

**Dean:**  Sure.

 

**Cas:** Can I ask what you’re expecting from me when we go out?  Like I said earlier, I’m not into one night stands.  If you’re just looking for a quick lay, that’s not what I’m wanting.  I’m sorry if my flirting led you to believe I would.

 

They pulled into the church parking lot and after a quick goodbye he was settled behind the wheel of his own car.  The longer it took for Dean to respond, the more anxious he got.  Maybe he’d read him wrong and all the man had been looking for was a one night stand and not to actually get to know one another better.  By the time he pulled into the underground parking at his building, his stomach had sunk.  He tried not to let himself be too upset as he walked to the elevator and took it up to his floor.  Just as he walked up to his door, his phone buzzed.

 

**Dean:**  Sorry, had a really weird customer come in with some very specific requests and it took me forever to find the stuff he wanted.  Kinky bastard.  How does Charlie do this day in and day out without cringing?  I have no idea.

 

**Dean:**  To answer your question, no.  I am not looking for a quick fuck.  I’m getting a little too old for that now.  I want to talk and see where things go.  That’s if you want that too.

 

Cas felt the knot in his stomach release, and he let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding in.

 

**Cas:** That’s a relief.  When you didn’t answer before I sort of freaked out and thought I had misread you earlier.  I apologize.  I want that too, to talk and get to know one another better.  By the way, how old are you?

 

**Dean:**  Probably older than you, lol.  I’m 28.

 

**Cas:** How old do you think I am?

 

**Dean:**  I’m really bad at guessing ages but you look young and you said you’re a student so I figured you were around my brother’s age?  24?  25?

 

**Cas:** I’m flattered, but I’m 31.

 

**Dean:**  No

 

**Cas:**  Yes

 

**Dean:**  Damn, I never would have guessed, though I had a hard time not staring at your eyes.  I bet you get that a lot.

 

**Cas:**  Once in awhile.  So you like my eyes?  Is that all?

 

**Dean:**  No, definitely not.  But I found it hard not to stare into them.  It probably sounds cheesy, but you’re so hot I was almost scared to ask you out.  I was shocked you said yes.  But I’m glad you did.

 

**Cas:**  You’re kidding me, right?  I couldn’t stop staring at YOU.  You’re the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on!

 

**Dean:**  You wear glasses right?  And you just forgot to wear them today.  That has to be why you’re saying that.

 

**Cas:** Ok, I can see where this is going.  We’ll bicker back and forth over who is the attractive one when clearly we both are.  So where are you taking me Friday?

 

**Dean:** I know a place with killer burgers, if you’re interested.  I’m more of a meat and potatoes type of guy.

 

**Cas:**  As am I, though I do eat my fruits and vegetables.  What time should I be ready by?

 

**Dean:** Seven.  I’ll pick you up and we’ll drive up to Whiting.

 

**Cas:**  I’ll be ready and waiting.  By the way, I’ve been home.  As we’ve been talking I got ready for bed and am now lying in said bed.  I work nights so I’m not quite tired yet though.  How long til you close up?

 

**Dean:**  I have another hour.  Sam’s dealing with a lady that came in wanting lingerie, but now she’s hitting on him and making him really uncomfortable.  It’s almost funny.  I’ll give it another few minutes and then I’ll go and rescue him.  I’m ready to go home and go to bed though.  I’ve been working since 9.

 

**Cas:** Pm?

 

**Dean:**  Am.  I worked at the shop before agreeing to work tonight.  And I’m doing this again tomorrow too.  I may just put my asst. mgr. in control and take a day off so I can sleep in.  Otherwise I’ll be a zombie.

 

**Cas:**  We don’t want that now.  I want you driving to and from work safely so you’re awake Friday for our date.

 

**Dean:**  Why do I think you’re going to be a ton of fun to get to know?

 

**Cas:** Because I am a ton of fun to get to know.

 

The conversation continued until Cas was finally growing sleepy and Dean was starting the closing procedures for the store.  They bid one another goodnight, promising to talk more the next day.  When morning came Cas dragged himself from bed and made his way into the kitchen where a fresh pot of coffee waited for him.  For the most part he lived a rather simple life, material things not being a major priority for him, but the coffee pot with the automatic timer was an indulgence for which he was glad he had invested. After grabbing a mug from the cabinet and filling it, he added in his cream and sugar before stumbling back to his bedroom.  His phone was where he had left it on the nightstand and the blue light in the corner was flashing, alerting him to a notification.  He unlocked the phone as he settled back on the bed and saw a series of texts waiting.  The one that caught his attention though was from his boss, Fergus.

 

**Fergus:**  When you get here tonight change into the server outfit.  The first 2 hours you’ll be serving, we’re shorthanded.  Jake was assaulted last night and beaten after he left the club.  We’re trying to cover his shifts so if you want more hours, just say the word.

 

Cas sighed.  He hated serving.  Men would grope him constantly the entire time.  Sure, the tips would be good, especially if he didn’t show his disgust by pulling away too quickly, but it still disgusted him knowing these men thought they had the right to touch his body without his permission.  In the beginning he’d started out as a server and had almost quit, were it not for the tips.  He was going home with almost $100 in his pocket those first few nights and once he’d gotten the hang of it, the amount he earned only increased.  Once he got into dancing, it became a _very_ lucrative way to earn money.  During parties and events he sometimes made upwards of $1000 in a single night.  Men and women alike found him attractive, and he worked hard to stay in shape.  

 

As he sipped his coffee he found himself wondering yet again what Dean’s reaction would be to the fact that he was a stripper.  He preferred the term “exotic dancer,” but really, he was yanking off tear away clothing and grinding down into the customers’ laps to earn money.  It was paying his way through college, and that was a lot more than some people could claim.  He also had a nice condo and an even nicer savings account.  Sometimes he wondered if it was worthwhile to even finish school. He made a fortune dancing. He wasn’t dumb though. His looks wouldn’t last forever. Eventually the money would begin to lessen until he wasn’t making anything at all.  No, his dream had always been to teach, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize that.

 

The other texts were from friends and one was a coupon he received once a month from some pizza place in the neighborhood.  With that out of the way he dug out his laptop and his homework.  This was when he usually worked on it, when all of his family and friends were at work and no one was around to bother him.  Sometime later, as he finished up a research paper, the buzzer rang.  He got up to go and see who it was.

 

“Hello?”  He asked once he had pressed the intercom button.

 

“Uncle Cas?”

 

The voice was not close to the speaker at all but he recognized it.

 

“Lexi?  I’ll buzz you in.”

 

He held the buzzer for a full 60 seconds as he always did to make sure she got in the door.  After running to grab a pair of sweatpants and throw them on, he went back to the front door.  He opened it and leaned back against the frame to wait for the elevator to reach his floor.  When the doors opened his niece came rolling smoothly out in her chair.  Her face lit up when she spotted him.

 

“Hey, kiddo.”  He looked past her but the doors were already sliding shut.  “Where’s your dad?  And why aren’t you in school?”

 

“It’s a teacher’s institution day, and I had to get away from him, he’s driving me nuts!”  It was clear she was upset.

 

“You want to talk about it?”  he asked.

 

“Can I get some coffee first?  I had to leave before he woke up and I’m pretty tired.”

 

He moved aside so she could get into the apartment and followed after.

“You know he’ll be calling me soon in a panic looking for you.  Did you at least leave him a note?”

 

She was already in the kitchen, and he moved past her to pour her a cup of coffee.

 

“I did.  Won’t stop him from freaking out though.”

 

He could hear how upset she was.  Since she had turned 17 the fighting between her and his brother Gabe had been escalating.  She wanted more freedom and a chance to be a normal kid and he was overprotective, not wanting her to go anywhere or do anything alone.  When they fought like this she usually snuck out while his brother was sleeping and came here.  Cas didn’t mind, he loved his niece.  It was the wrath of his brother that he wasn’t looking forward to.  He handed the cup to her, and she immediately took a sip.

 

“Did you eat?”

 

“No,” she admitted.

 

“You need to eat because of your meds.  Tell me you at least took those or brought them with.”  He walked to the fridge and began pulling out the eggs and sausages.

 

“They’re in my bag.”

 

“Ok.  So I’ll make us something to eat, but I need to grab my phone.  You’re welcome to hang out here, but I have a lot of studying and homework to get done before I head into work tonight.  And I’m calling your father.  I don’t want to be on the receiving end of his anger any more than you do, but if I don’t talk to him first he’s going to flip.  I’ll be back in a few minutes.”  He didn’t wait for an answer before heading back to his bedroom.  His phone was still on his bed where he’d left it and there was a blue light blinking.  Sure enough, he had 3 calls and 2 texts waiting from his brother.  Ignoring the texts for now he just dialed the number.

 

“Cas!  Please tell me Lexi got there ok!”

 

“She’s fine.  Rolled in my door less than 5 minutes ago.  She’s mad though.  What did you do this time?”  Cas usually ended up chastising his brother, even though Gabe was older.

 

“What did _I_ do?  I’m not the one that snuck out of the house before her father was even awake!”

 

“Would you have let her go by herself if she wanted to if you _had_ been awake?”  Cas asked.  There was a brief silence and then he heard the heavy sigh on the other end of the line.

 

“No.”

 

“So, tell me, why is she so pissed at you that she felt she had to escape you?”

 

“Escape _me_?  You make me sound like some monster that’s keeping her locked in my basement!”  Gabe’s irritation was mostly due to his worry about his only child.  Cas got that, but she was 17 now, almost 18.  He needed to ease up.

 

“When you won’t even let her go to the corner store by herself or go hang out with friends, then yes, you’re no better than a monster that would lock her up.  So I’ll ask again.  What did you do to piss her off?”

 

Gabe made a noise that sounded like a cross between a growl and a whine.  Very unflattering for a 40-year-old man.

 

“She…she went online and got a job.  Snuck out yesterday and went to do the interview.  She got the job.”

 

“And what, you told her she couldn’t do it?”

 

“I _worry_!”  Gabe snapped.

 

“And so do I, but Gabe, she’s almost an adult. She has to have some independence.  You’re suffocating her.  Even you have to realize this.  Now.  She’s here. She has her medicines and a bad attitude, so you will not come over. Give her the space she needs. If she wants to spend the night, she’s welcome to do that. She is safe. I am going to recommend family therapy though. You both need it.” Cas ignored the cursing on the other end of the line.

 

“How much medication did she bring?  Purple case or white?”

 

“I will find out and message you.  If it’s the purple one, I will come by the house to pick up the white one.  Just…give her some space.”  Cas softened his tone and his brother sighed on the other end of the line.

 

“Alright.  Fine.  I’m going to work.  She better have brought her homework, she has a paper due on the French Revolution.”

 

“If she didn’t, she’s going to be sorely disappointed when I swing by the house to pick it up,”  Cas snorted.  Gabe chuckled.  It was better than hearing the man raging.

 

“Yeah, ok.  I know I need to ease up.  She’s a smart kid, and she needs her space.  If you have any problems, call me.  I’ll keep my phone on me.”

 

“You know I will.  Try to relax.  Have a good day at work,”  Cas told him.

 

“Yeah, you too.  Wait, will she be there alone when you go to work?”  Gabe was worrying himself needlessly again.

 

“Gabe.  She’ll be sitting in my living room watching TV.  Stop worrying.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, ok.  We’ll talk later.”

 

With that Cas hung up.  He didn’t want to give his brother any more chances to worry himself.  Heading back into the kitchen he found Lexi starting breakfast.  She was beating the eggs in a bowl, humming to herself.

 

“So he panicked,” he said as he pulled cheese and a frying pan out.  If she was beating the eggs, she wanted an omelet.

 

“Of course he did.”  She handed him the butter and watched as he got the pan heated up.

 

“So I hear you got a job.  Congratulations.  Where is it at?”  He took the bowl when she handed it over, along with a spatula.

 

“At this dentist’s office.  I’ll literally be putting files in the cabinets.  He’s acting like I signed up for the Navy SEALS,” she complained.

 

“I think a job would be good for you.  It will look good on your college resume, plus you’ll have some spending cash.  What hours are they giving you?” he asked.  She lit up as she talked about the new job.  He knew she needed space to be a teenager, and he did what he could to get her that space.  Seeing her like this made him happy.

 

“So like, it’s 3 days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 3 until 6.  So right after school.  It’s only 2 blocks from the house, and I can easily get to and from it.  It’s wheelchair accessible, and they’re willing to give me a chance.  Plus they’re paying $9 an hour.  I like the people there; they’re so nice.”

 

“That’s great!  I’m happy for you.  So, do you start tomorrow?”

 

“No, they want me to start Monday.  Dad doesn’t want me to do it though.”  She glared off into the distance.  Cas was not surprised.

 

“I will talk to your dad.  You’re still applying to colleges, right?  I think it would be a good idea for you to at least consider in-state ones.  Even if you don’t want your dad hovering, it’ll be easier for me or Anna to come help if you’re closer, or if you happen to need anything.” He reached out to smooth back a lock of her light brown hair.  She was such a pretty girl.

 

“I’m seriously thinking about SIU, but don’t tell dad that.  If he continues to treat me like I’m three, I’ll go to freaking _Stanford_.”

 

Cas began adding cheese while she took the bowl back and whipped up more eggs.  They worked in tandem to get the meal on the table and then they were sitting down eating.

 

“So, which pill case did you bring, purple or white?” he asked.  She had two cases: a purple one that contained what she would need just for that morning and a white one that contained what she would need for the week.

 

“Both.  I had to refill the white one though.  They’re in my backpack,” she replied.

 

“And would your homework also be in your backpack?”  He cocked an eyebrow, and she gave him a sheepish smile.

 

“Yes, I’m sure he told you about my paper.  I have clothes too.  I wasn’t sure if you’d let me stay.  Or if _he’d_ let me stay.”

 

“I told him you were staying.  Didn’t give him an option.  But…”  He pointed his fork in her direction.  “I need to go to work tonight.  I leave at 4:30, and I’ll be back around 4 a.m.  I expect you to keep the door locked and get yourself into bed.  Can you do that?”

 

Her hazel eyes widened and her jaw fell slightly. “You’re-you’re leaving me… _alone_?”

 

“Why not?  You’re 17.  If you can roll yourself eight blocks from your house to my condo alone, you can handle a few hours by yourself.”  He trusted her.  The question was, did she trust herself?

 

“Omg!  Thank you, Uncle Cas!  I can get myself into bed, I promise!  And I’ll keep the doors locked up tight!”

 

Cas smiled at her enthusiasm.  “Good.  I already told your dad that you’d be here alone, so if he calls you, _pick up_.  Don’t avoid him or he’ll show up here, and he has a key.”

 

She nodded, the happy smile not budging an inch.  “I will.  I’ll be good, I promise.”

 

He didn’t doubt that she would.


	3. Chapter 3

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

After breakfast and a quick cleanup, Cas went back to his room to work on his homework.  Lexi was camped out at the kitchen table with her laptop and a 12-inch-thick history book, working on the paper she had due.  At 2:45 Cas closed his own laptop and got up.  He needed a shower and a shave before work.

 

Getting ready for his job was simple in some aspects but somewhat annoying in others.  In his line of work it wasn’t simply his face that he had to shave.  It was his armpits, his legs and his groin too.  With the tiny thongs he had to wear hidden under the clothes, he couldn’t leave any hair.  Once a month he went for a wax, and he was due for it soon.  Maybe Saturday morning.  Shaving took the longest and when he stepped out, he grabbed his coconut lotion, lathering it on his sensitive skin to chase away the slight burn.  He needed new razors.  After coating almost his entire body in the lotion he got dressed.  A pair of jeans and a Guns ~N~ Roses tee was all he needed to wear there.  Everything else was provided by the club.  He quickly styled his hair and after making sure he had his phone, wallet, and keys, he got ready to leave.  Lexi was in the living room, relaxed and watching some movie that looked vaguely familiar.  There was plenty of singing going on.

 

“So, I’ll order a pizza and have it delivered to April across the hall.  I’ll let her know before I do it.  She’ll come and knock on the door and give it to you.  I’ll arrange for that to come around 7.  Have your butt in bed by 11.  In the morning I’ll drop you off at school,” he explained.  She turned her chair around so she was facing him.

 

“Ok, sounds good.  In the meantime, can I have some of the chips I saw in the cabinet?”

 

“They’re not your normal chips, Lex.  Those are vegetable chips.”

 

She nodded.  “I know.  Dad buys them sometimes for me.  I love those.”

 

“Yes then, go ahead.  Try not to eat the whole bag though.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

He kissed the top of her head before leaving.  After locking the door he headed down to his car.  He had 2 vehicles, his car and a van with a wheelchair lift that he had purchased secondhand a few years back with the lift already mounted inside.  It needed some work but still drove ok.  Maybe if things worked out between him and Dean he could bring it down to the shop.  That thought put a smile on his face for the entire drive.

 

After grabbing a salad at a drive thru, he drove straight to the club.  He arrived a half hour early as usual and took that time to eat his food and then change into the annoying mock tuxedo he’d have to wear as a server.  He contacted April about the pizza and then went ahead and ordered it.  Before he tucked his phone into his locker, he checked his messages.  There was one there from Dean.

 

 **Dean:**  Hey. Sorry I didn’t message earlier.  I seriously was so tired last night when I got home that I crashed til almost noon today, then I got a call from the shop.  A compressor broke so I had to go down there anyway.  By the way, the baby arrived last night.  A little boy they named Luke.  I’m at the hospital now.  I couldn’t wait to see him.  They almost named him Anakin!  Luke is better, I think.  He’s adorable.  The shop opens at 5 and Sam did the opening.  I am on my way there now to go man it.  I’ll be glad when I’m done!  How was your day?

 

 **Cas:**  Well, aside from my niece getting into a fight with her dad and showing up on my doorstep, it went well.  I got plenty of studying done and now I’m at work.  I can text you later though, when I take my break if that’s alright.  I won’t take my lunch though until 11, so if you text me and I don’t respond, my phone is in my locker, but I will message you back as soon as I have a chance, ok?

 

 **Dean:**  Yeah, of course.  Have a great night at work.  I’ll text you in a while, and you can just message me on your break.

 

 **Cas:**  Thank you, and I’ll be looking forward to that.

 

Cas tucked the phone in his locker and straightened his bowtie.  It was going to be a long night.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The men were rowdy tonight, more so than was usual for a Thursday, and Cas had more hands squeezing and smacking his ass than he could keep count of.  A few were rude enough to grab his junk and were quickly reprimanded by Victor, the bouncer.  Cas was grateful for Victor and considered the man a good friend.  When his time was up serving he went in back to change.  During the week he did 2 shows a night but on Fridays and Sundays he did 3.  He didn’t work Saturdays, not after he began incurring the wrath of other dancers that weren’t making nearly as much in tips as he was.  To maintain the peace, he worked Fridays and Sundays instead.  He still made excellent money, mostly because he had regulars that knew his schedule and came in when they knew he would be there.  As long as he kept making money though, he didn’t care.  A few more weeks and he’d be done with college.  Not long after that he’d be done with dancing too.  The job he had lined up was set to pay handsomely, and he was looking forward to working days.  And to keeping his clothes on.  He was getting a little too old to be doing back flips and splits, things that after Fergus had learned he could do, expected from him constantly.  Good thing the stage was big.

 

His first show went well.  He was still in a good mood after that tiny little conversation with Dean and he was looking forward to seeing if there was a text waiting.  People were cheering loudly as he left the stage and as he headed for the back room one of the regulars grabbed him by the arm, stopping him.  It wasn’t forceful, but the man was suddenly blocking his path, making him stop.

 

“You are so gorgeous, James.  Absolutely incredible.  I wanted to tell you that.”  He was very obviously looking Cas up and down, his dark eyes wandering hungrily over his body, lingering an obscenely long time on his barely covered crotch before finally sliding back up to look him in the eye.  It made Cas feel dirty and, not for the first time, ashamed of what he did for a living.

 

“Thank you, now if you’ll excuse me-”

 

Before he could step around the man – Patrick, one of his big tippers – strong arms caught him and pressed him back against the wall.

 

“I’d like to take you home tonight.  What do you think about that?” he purred.  Normally an Irish accent would be incredibly sexy to Cas, but Patrick carried himself with an air of superiority that he thoroughly disliked.  He pushed the man back firmly.

 

“It sounds like it’s never going to happen.  I’ve told you before, I do not date customers.”

 

From over Patrick’s shoulder he saw Victor making his way over.

“What’s going on?”  he asked in a way that told Patrick to back off.

 

“Nothing.  I was just having a conversation with James here.”  Patrick stepped back, putting a bit of distance between them and straightened his tie, something most of the customers came in here wearing since Fergus had standards and ran this place as classy as possible.  Cas was especially glad for the fact that every dancer here went by a stage name, so Patrick didn’t know his real name.

 

“He was propositioning me.”  Cas had a deep scowl on his face, and the entire encounter had left him in a bad mood.

 

“You know that’s not allowed, man.  You also know that I’m going to have to escort you out now.”  Victor positioned himself between Cas and Patrick, and it gave Cas the opportunity to slip through the door and head into the back.  Once he reached his locker he leaned his head against it and let out a shaky breath.

 

“Darling, are you ok?”

 

Cas’ eyes were squeezed shut, but he swallowed hard and looked up to see his friend Balthazar standing there.  He looked handsome in his white dress shirt and black pants.  The black bowtie added to the look.  Dashing. Yes, that was the right word.  Years earlier he’d been a stripper but he was past his prime and despite a killer body, he simply tended bar now.  He didn’t mind though.  With a flirty nature and an ability to charm the pants off practically anyone (Cas included), he made bank in tips.  Especially on the weekends.

 

“Yeah, I’m ok.  Customer got fresh.  Vic took care of it though.”

 

“It’s your lunch now, yes?  Why don’t you stop by the bar and I’ll pour you a shot, help steady your nerves.”  Balthazar placed a hand on his shoulder and Cas nodded.

 

“Yeah, ok.  Let me get some food in me first though.  I’ll be up in about 10.  I have something to do first.”

 

He pulled a key out of his thong and opened the lock on his locker.  As soon as he had his phone in hand he saw the blue notification light in the corner.  Immediately he felt better when he saw it was a text from Dean.

 

“Got yourself a new beau?” Balthazar was still getting ready for his shift, but he hadn’t missed the way Cas’ face had lit up when he’d grabbed his phone.

 

“Sort of.  We haven’t been on a date yet but he’s really nice.  We’re going out tomorrow.”

 

“You told Fergus, right?”  Balthazar asked.  They both knew how pissy their boss could be when his carefully planned out schedules got disrupted.  He was already cranky over the attack on Jake the night before.

 

“I told him when I got here.  I switched with Dave, so it’s not a huge change and he wasn’t too bothered by it.  But I had to agree to serve the first half of my shift on Saturday.”  Cas really hated serving.

 

“Ouch.  At least this Saturday’s theme is Egyptian night so you’ll have those gold flaps over your business parts.  Harder to be groped through those.”  Balthazar was trying to sound optimistic.

 

“Yeah, but I will be covered in freaking gold body paint.  That shit is a bitch to wash off.”  Another reason Cas hated working Saturdays.  Theme night.  Maybe he should have seen if Dean was available Saturday instead of Friday.  If they made it to a second date (and he was really, _really_ hoping they did) he would ask for it to be on a Saturday.

 

“So, what is he like?”  Balthazar still had a few minutes before his shift, and he could be a nosey bastard.  When Cas looked up he saw a mixture of curiosity and pain on his face.  It was his own fault they hadn’t worked out though, not Cas’.  His jealousy every time another man cat called him, touched him or propositioned Cas had grown old really fast.  It had hurt Cas to have to break up with him, but they were still friends and he knew the man cared about him.

 

“He’s very nice, and I’m comfortable around him.”

 

“Does he know about…”  Balthazar waved his hand a bit, indicating the club and Cas’ job.

 

“No, and it’s none of his business until I’m ready to share that part of my life.  Besides, four more weeks, and I am done with school.  I am looking forward to retiring from dancing.  My back and knees will thank me,”  Cas joked.  Balthazar chuckled as he closed his own locker.

 

“Well, I hope it works out.  He’s a lucky man.”  He winked and walked out the door, leaving Cas alone with his phone and the bag of trail mix he kept in his locker to eat during his lunch breaks.

 

 **Dean:**  Hey gorgeous.  Work going well tonight?  I had a circus clown come in looking for condoms.  Sam actually screamed and ran for the back room.  It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

 

Cas laughed as he found a chair in the corner and sat down.  He munched on some trail mix as he responded.

 

 **Cas:**  It’s been a long night already, and I just want to go home.  Only four hours to go.  Poor Sam.  Did he ever come out of the back room?  I take it he’s afraid of clowns.

 

 **Dean:**  He’s terrified of them.  Never expected one to come walking in here though.  This place really does get the most interesting characters.  I had some soccer mom in here earlier.  She bought a rabbit AND a bondage kit.  Then a guy I’m pretty sure works down at Fletcher’s restaurant came in and bought panties.  I don’t judge.  To each their own.

 

 **Cas:**  So you don’t like panties?

 

 **Dean:**  On the right person, sure.

 

 **Cas:**  So if I told you I had some…

 

 **Dean:**  Jesus, Cas, I’m working!  No sexting!

 

 **Cas:**  I’m wondering what you would look like in some.  Maybe in white silk.  Mmm, it’s a good image.

 

 **Dean:**  You’re awful.  I had to go in the back and leave Sam up front.  He’s still scared the clown will come back.

 

 **Cas:**  I’ll be a good boy, if that’s what you want.

 

 **Dean:**  Fuck.  I don’t even know what to say to that.  How about a change of subjects?  What are you eating on your lunch break?

 

 **Cas:**  I don’t usually eat on it.  I eat before I start my shift and just have some water or juice with trail mix on my breaks.  When I get home, if I’m still hungry, I’ll have something light.  Eating late gives me nightmares.

 

 **Dean:**  Makes sense.  I brought homemade chili for dinner for me and Sam, but the jerk keeps farting.  Next time I give him chili I’m giving him gas pills first.

 

Cas burst out laughing and quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.

 

 **Cas:**  Omg, I just laughed so loud.  I’m glad I’m in the break room alone right now.

 

 **Dean:** What time do you get off work?

 

 **Cas:**  Three.  Only a few more weeks though and I’m done.  I’ll officially be a college graduate.  I honestly can’t wait.

 

 **Dean:**  You have plans for after graduation?  New job or something?

 

 **Cas:**  My dream job, teaching.  I can’t wait.

 

 **Dean:**  Good for you.  I bet you’re excited.  When is your break over?

 

Cas checked the time.  Shoot, there was no time to go get that shot Balthazar had offered.  He had to be back on stage for the group show.  He told Dean he had to go and stuffed the phone and the trail mix back in his locker.  After popping a stick of gum in his mouth and putting the lock back in place, he tucked the key into the secret pocket inside his thong and hurried to pee.  He had less than 2 minutes before he had to be on stage.

The rest of the night was rather calm.  His tips kept coming, and no one else grabbed at him.  When his shift ended he hurried to change and slipped out the back door, phone and keys in hand.  Lexi had texted him after she was in bed, even including a picture to let him know that the place was locked up tight, she had saved the rest of the pizza and was safely tucked into bed for the night.  He also had three texts from his brother and one from Anna about how Gabe had called her complaining about Lexi running out that morning, and how she had to calm him down and keep him from leaving work early to go check on her.  There was one from Dean too, telling him he was home and crawling into bed.  That had been about 20 minutes ago.  No doubt he was sound asleep by now.  Still, he wished the man goodnight.

 

The drive home went pretty quickly and he made his way up to his condo, yawning the entire way.  The place was quiet and after locking up, he grabbed two slices of pizza from the fridge and carried them back to his bedroom to eat as he got ready for bed.  It was heavier than what he usually grabbed and no doubt would give him nightmares, but it was pepperoni and he was hungry.  He finished his food, brushed his teeth and set the alarm so he’d be up in time to take Lexi to school.  Two minutes after he laid his head on his pillow, he was out like a light.

 

Morning came way the hell too early.  Waking without getting enough sleep always left him nauseous, and he staggered from bed trying to decide whether he really wanted to throw up or whether it would pass.  When he decided on the latter, he made his way to the kitchen to find Lexi already awake and dressed.  She smiled brightly as she set a mug of coffee and a plate of waffles down on the table in front of him.

 

“You going to be ok to drive me?” she asked.

 

“Yeah, just let me drink my coffee and get dressed.”  His voice was rough from lack of sleep.  He had every intention of going back to bed once he had dropped her off.

 

“I talked to my dad this morning.  He’s still being a jerk about the job.  You’re still going to talk to him, right?”  She chewed nervously at her bottom lip and he nodded quickly, wanting to alleviate her concern.

 

“Yeah, I’ll talk to him at some point,” he promised,  “before you start Monday.”

 

She smiled and dug into a plate of her own waffles.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He winked around a mouthful of food.  Anything for his family.


	4. Chapter 4

[ ](http://imgur.com/6V2uoVy)

 

 

Cas was back in his bed within the hour, and immediately he fell back asleep. Around 2 someone rang his buzzer, and he forced himself back out of bed to go answer it.

 

“Who is it?” he groused, not happy at having been woken for the second time that day.

 

“It’s your amazing and wonderful brother.  Buzz me in.”

 

Cas did exactly that, and a few minutes later Gabe was walking in the front door.

 

“You have a key,”  Cas complained as he closed the door.

 

“I do, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted me just walking in.  Lexi get to school ok?”  Gabe asked.

 

“She did.”  Cas shuffled into the kitchen and went about making a fresh pot of coffee.

 

“Good.  I’m uh, sorry I got nasty on the phone with you yesterday.  I know I need to relax.  She needs space as a young lady and I need to stop worrying so much, but she had another seizure just a couple of months back, before they changed her meds, and I admit, it’s hard for me to let go and let her grow up.  I’ll try harder though.”  Gabe sat down heavily at the kitchen table and propped his head on his hand as he watched his brother moving about.

 

“I get where you’re coming from.  But Gabe, she’s going to go out, start her own life, find someone to love, go to college, have kids, maybe not all in that order…”  

 

Cas smirked when he heard his brother snort behind him.  “And if you don’t ease up, you’re going to lose her.  She adores you, but keep going the way you are now and she’s just going to resent you.”

 

Gabe mumbled irritably under his breath until a steaming cup of black coffee and a bottle of chocolate coffee creamer was placed in front of him.  Cas had stopped long ago trying to add it ahead of time for his brother because even if he added the entire bottle, it was never enough.

 

“Yeah, I know, ok?  I only called once last night, to make sure she took her meds.  At least she didn’t curse me out.”

 

“You’re going to let her take that job.  She’s 17, almost 18.  The job will help to pad her resume and give her valuable life experience.  Plus it will help her with her independence.  She already took your feelings into account by choosing a job close to the house, so that if anything were to happen, you’d be nearby.  She’s so happy about it.  Don’t take that away from her.”  Cas sat down with his own cup and when his brother was finished with the creamer, snagged the bottle and added some to his own drink.

 

“I know.  I was thinking about that all of last night and most of this morning.  It is good experience.  I won’t stand in her way,”  Gabe sighed.  Cas smiled.  If there were two things that ran strong among the Novak kids, it was stubbornness.  The other thing was the ability to listen to and respond to logic.  Even Gabe.

 

“So, that means you could take on a few more hours down at the restaurant if you wanted to.  Or…go on a date.”  Cas knew that since his sister-in-law had up and left, serving Gabe with divorce papers 2 weeks after her disappearance, his brother had not dated much.  In fact, he could probably count on one hand the number of dates his brother had been on.  Gabe scowled.

 

“Date.  Are you nuts?  I’m a mess.  Who the hell would want to date me?”

 

“I’m sure there’s someone out there that would.  And you’re not the mess that you seem to think you are.  I just advise that if you intend to date, you choose someone that _doesn’t_ attend the church.”  Cas cocked an eyebrow, and Gabe acknowledged it with a nod.  No, Gabe didn’t want anyone from that church either.

 

“What about you?  Are you avoiding dating people from the church?  You dating anyone you met at work?”  Gabe asked.  Cas wrinkled his nose before taking a sip of his coffee.

 

“I made that mistake once.  We managed to stay friends, but he still gets upset when men come on to me.  I’m not going down that road again with anyone I meet at work, including coworkers.  But I do have a date with someone.  Tonight.  He’s a mechanic and owns a shop near downtown.”

 

Gabe’s sour expression turned to one of genuine interest.

 

“Oh?  He must be nice if you’re going out with him.  Did Anna meet him?”

 

“No, this is our first date, but we’ve been texting back and forth since we met.  It’s fun to get him flustered.  He’s almost shy about it.  I really like him.”  It was already after 2.  Dean would be picking him up in only a few short hours.  The thought made his stomach suddenly flip excitedly.  What should he wear?  Where was Dean even taking him?  He’d said burgers, so that had to be at least semi-casual.  Should he wear a button down?  A tee shirt?  Were jeans ok?  He had a pair that hugged his ass and thighs very nicely…

 

“Whoa, little bro.  Where did you just drift off to?”  Gabe teased.  Cas’ cheeks reddened slightly, and he smiled down at his cup.

 

“I was wondering what I should wear tonight.  He said he’s taking me out to get burgers over in Whiting.”

 

“I would go with a nice pair of jeans and maybe one of your button downs, but roll the sleeves up.  Don’t wear an undershirt, it’ll make you look bulky and it’s supposed to be warm tonight, so you’ll sweat.  You’ll be just casual enough for a nicer restaurant but not so overdressed if you just end up at like, Burger King.”  Gabe liked to pride himself on his fashion sense, even if he only offered to everyone but himself.  He preferred to wear oversized Hawaiian shirts or bowling shirts himself when he wasn’t working.  Hell, even when he _was_ working he wore them, though they were hidden beneath his chef’s coat there.  Still, Cas heeded the advice.

 

“White or blue?  I have a blue shirt that matches my eyes, but if I sweat I think the stains will be more obvious.  The white is thin, so without an undershirt, if I sweat it’ll look like a wet tee shirt contest.  Without the water or the contest.  Or the tee shirt!”  Cas laughed.  Gabe grinned and thought for a minute.

 

“Go with the white.  I doubt you’ll sweat that much anyway, unless you guys are looking to make one another sweat.”

 

“No, no, none of that yet.  I am hoping there’s something good between Dean and myself.  I don’t want a one night stand and neither does he,”  Cas said.

 

“So…3rd date then.”  Gabe teased.  Cas rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

 

“I would like to hold out a little longer than that.”

 

“Well, you always did have more impulse control than me.  Some of those slicked up bodies you work with, there’s no way I’d have been able to resist them.”  Gabe had been to the club a few times at Cas’ invitation.  When he wasn’t dancing, of course.  It was too awkward to have Gabe watching him gyrate and strip on a stage so invitations were extended to after his performances or on nights when he wasn’t working at all.

 

“You do know that technically it’s not a gay club, right?  Women do come in, and not all of the guys I work with are gay.  Gadreel I believe is straight.  So is Cole.  I know Dave is married to a woman and has a baby at home.”

 

“But you call it a gay club,”  Gabe pointed out.  Cas sighed.

 

“Yeah, pretty much.”

 

“Then I would be jumping as many of those beauties as possible if I had the opportunities that you did,”  Gabe laughed.  Cas just laughed as he shook his head.  His brother was long overdue to get laid.  That was the problem.

Gabe’s expression turned serious again.  “So.  You going to tell him what you do or wait til you’re done doing it and are officially working full time at the university?”

 

“I don’t want to lie but it has never gone over well when I tell men what I do.  They seem to automatically think sex is involved, and they don’t listen to reason.  I’m not like that.  And it’s _not_ prostitution.  It’s waiting tables and dancing.  That’s all.  It hurts when someone I care about thinks so low of me.”  Cas frowned as the worry began settling in again.  Maybe he should have waited to go out with Dean.  Until after he had graduated.  He could have used the excuse that he just had so much homework to finish with graduation so close, but what if Dean moved on, started dating someone else during that time?  No, waiting would have been a bad idea.  He wanted Dean too damn much for that.  Patience had never been his strong suit.

 

“Yeah, I know you’re not a prostitute.  Let’s hope he has a level head and realizes it too.”

 

Gabe didn’t seem too worried about it, so Cas refused to worry either.  Instead they discussed Lexi, how she had loaded the dishwasher after he’d left for work, straightened up a bit around the living room and kitchen, and how she had gotten ready for bed and actually gotten into the bed all on her own.  Cas was proud, and Gabe had to admit even he was too.  After his brother left, Cas headed to his only Friday class before coming back to get ready for his date.  He laid the clothes he’d discussed earlier out on the bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower and shave.  This time all he had to shave was his face, and he was glad for that.  Tomorrow morning he had an appointment for a full body wax.  As he slid the ass- and thigh-hugging jeans up his legs he wondered what Dean would think of the fact that he shaved if they reached that level of intimacy.  Would he be turned on?  Disgusted?  Intrigued?  He hoped with every fiber of his being that the handsome mechanic was not a jerk.

 

“Please, God.  For once, give me a truly _nice_ guy.”  He muttered as he slipped the shirt on.  He just wanted this time to work out.

 


	5. Chapter 5

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Dean pulled up at the address Cas had given him right on time.  After parking he took a moment to look up at the building.  It was nice, a lot nicer than his little apartment.  He found himself wondering how a college student could afford a place like this.

 

_Entertainment Industry_

 

His brain kindly tossed the words back into his conscious thought.  He had discussed that with Charlie and she had agreed that if Cas wasn’t doing porn (which Dean felt was a crying shame with such a fantastic body and a gorgeous face, even if he didn’t want to imagine the man having hot sex with anyone but himself), then he had to either be a sex phone worker or a stripper.  With a voice as deep and sexy as Cas’ was, Dean was leaning towards the phone work.  He tried not to dwell too much on that train of thought, though, as it was threatening to get him hard and that really wasn’t the way to make a proper impression on a man he wanted to get to know better.  After a deep breath he walked up to a set of glass doors and rang the buzzer for Cas’ unit.

 

“Be right down!”

 

Dean felt goosebumps sliding down his neck at the sound of Cas’ voice over the speaker.  Damn the man had a sexy voice.  He stuffed his hands down deep into the pocket of his jeans and waited for Cas to come down.  It was several minute before he saw the man through the glass doors, walking across a lobby towards him.  He looked amazing, and it was hard not to stare at how the jeans the man was wearing hugged his thighs.  The white shirt contrasted nicely with Cas’ tan skin and seemed to make his blue eyes stand out even more.  He reached the door, a soft smile already on his lips as he pulled it open and stepped outside.

 

“Hello, Dean,” he greeted, his tone soft and almost shy.  Dean smiled wide.

 

“Hey, Cas.  You look really good.”

 

Cas looked down for a moment at his clothes before meeting Dean’s eyes once more.

 

“Thank you.  I hope it’s appropriate for where we’re going.”

 

“It’s perfect.”  Dean started walking towards his car and Cas followed.

 

“So, where are we going exactly?”  Cas asked.

 

“Ever been to The Roadhouse over in Whiting?  Ellen from church actually owns it.  It’s a particular sore point for John as he deems it a place of sin but since it’s not actually here in town, he sort of lets it slide.”  Dean opened the passenger door for him and Cas climbed in.  He hurried around to the driver’s side and slid in behind the wheel.

 

“I sometimes grab food there and come back here.  I’ve never actually sat down and eaten there though.”  Cas replied as Dean started the car.  She purred like a kitten, which brought a smile to Cas’ face.  “Your car is amazing.”

 

“Thanks, she’s my pride and joy.  Last semblance I have of a time when my father was a decent human being.”  The instant smile at being complimented on his car quickly faded to a frown that Dean shook off.  He pushed any negative thoughts about his dad away and smiled again.  This was a night for being happy.  The weather was nice, there was a gorgeous guy sitting next to him, his car was making a good impression on said gorgeous guy, and there was soon to be good food in both of their bellies.  He didn’t want to ruin any of that by talking about his father.

 

“So, did you have classes today?” he asked.

 

“I did.  I have only one on Fridays.  I missed the two I have on Thursdays because my niece needed me yesterday.”  Cas settled back comfortably in the car, and it didn’t escape Dean’s attention how his hand ran over the leather of the seat between them.  He was glad his date liked his car.

 

“What class did you have today?”

 

“Histology.  I’m acting TA in my immunology class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I messaged my professor to let him know I wouldn’t be in yesterday,”  Cas replied.

 

“Ok, you’ll have to enlighten me.  I know what a TA is, but what is histology?  And is immunology the study of the immune system?”  Dean was curious.  He knew Cas was smart, but he’d said he was earning a science degree.  This sounded like way more than a simple “science” degree.

 

“Yes, that’s exactly what immunology is.  Histology is studying the tissue, but on a microscopic level,”  Cas explained.

 

“So I’m guessing you’re not earning a science degree so you can blow stuff up.”  Dean was making a joke but seriously, Cas was sounding like he was way out of his league.  There was a small furrow between the man’s brows and a tiny frown on his perfect lips.

 

“I plan to teach.  I have a job lined up at the university when I’m done.  I start in August.”

 

“So you’ll teach…”  Dean was trying to draw out what the man didn’t seem so willing to just say.  Cas’ frown grew deeper.

 

“Anatomy and Physiology.  And hopefully in the future a few other courses.”

 

Dean was by no means stupid.  He’d earned his own BA and spent enough time in college to know that you didn’t just get to teach at a university with anything less than an MA.  Cas was 31 though.  A little old to be working on his MA.

 

“You’re finishing up what, your doctorate?”

 

Cas had pulled his hand back into his lap and had folded his hands together neatly.

 

“Yes.  Is that an issue?”

 

Dean considered the question.  Cas knew he was a mechanic.  He didn’t seem to think it was an issue that Dean didn’t have a higher education degree.  Sam would say he was overthinking things.  Cas was gorgeous, funny, incredibly sweet, sexy as hell, and completely interested in him.  He’d be a fool to pass on the chance to get to know him.

 

“No, not at all.  I just hope you’re ok with the fact that I stopped after my BA.  There wasn’t the money, time, or motivation to go further.  I’m still paying my brother’s way through school.”

 

“Of course not.  A degree does not a person make.  I like _you_ , Dean.  It’s not like I’ll be practicing medicine.  I’ll just be teaching.”  Cas relaxed, the furrow smoothing out and disappearing, replaced by a more earnest look.

 

“Ok, glad that’s out of the way.”  Dean gave him a small smile as they reached a red light.  He didn’t want to ruin things before they’d even started.  Cas thankfully smiled right back.

 

At the restaurant they were seated in a booth at Dean’s request, and they both ordered beer.

 

“Do you come here a lot?”  Cas asked after their drinks had been set down in front of them.

 

“Yes and no.  Once in a while Sam and I will come in for dinner, but mostly I do what you do .  I order my food to go.  The burgers are seriously the best in the county.  You ever had them?”

 

Cas shook his head.  “I usually eat the salads here.”

 

“Oh boy, you’re into the rabbit food too?”  Dean laughed.  Cas smiled and shrugged.

 

“I try to stay in shape.  I like burgers, I just haven’t tried the ones from here.”

 

“Well, you should definitely try the ones tonight, or are you preferring another salad?”  Dean was flirting, testing the waters.  A man that loved burgers was someone he definitely wanted to know better.

 

“I want a bacon cheeseburger, hold the onion.”  Cas cocked one eyebrow.  “But I’d like a side salad instead of fries.”

 

Dean couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Alright, gorgeous.  You got it.”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The burgers turned out to be delicious, and Dean teased him playfully about the salad.  It was clear he didn’t really have a problem with it, so Cas just laughed and ate every bite of it.  Still, he snagged a fry or two without complaint from Dean.  A simply batting of his eyes and Dean was practically sliding the plate across the table to him.  Cas didn’t want to get in the habit of getting Dean to give him whatever he wanted, but it was interesting to see just how attracted the man really was to him.  They talked as they ate, about living in Greenstown, about their mutual love of cheeseburgers, Star Wars, Cas’ classes, Dean’s shop, their favorite desserts, their favorite television series, and anything that came to mind.  Neither man brought up their family, aside from a brief mention of Sam and Cas talking about his brother stopping by earlier.  Dean was eager to learn everything that made Cas tick.  The man’s every movement was graceful, from the way he sat back and crossed his legs to how he crossed the room after excusing himself to use the bathroom.  Dean especially enjoyed _that_ view, both coming and going.  But he couldn’t get the man to elaborate on his job.  Subtlety wasn’t working, so around the time they had ordered dessert, he decided to be a little bolder.

 

“So, can I ask you a question?”

 

Cas had just spooned a fudge-covered scoop of ice cream into his mouth, so all he could do was nod.

 

“If you want to tell me I’m a nosey son of a bitch, I’ll totally understand but-”

 

“You want to know if I used the plug yet,”  Cas concluded.  There was a wicked gleam in his eye as he licked the fudge from the back of his spoon.  Shit if watching that wasn’t doing things to Dean.  He shook himself out of it before his mind went to places it really didn’t belong.  Not on a first date.

 

“Uh, ha ha, no, actually.  I actually forgot all about that.  I was wondering what you meant when you said you worked in the entertainment industry.”

 

Cas set his spoon down and looked away, the flirtatiousness that had been a constant part of the man’s persona all night suddenly seemed to disappear.

 

“Yeah, about that?  I don’t have the best track record with guys because of what I do for a living.  But it’s not what I plan to do forever.  It was a means to an end and a way to pay my way through college.  If…”

 

Sad, worried blue eyes met Dean’s green ones for just a moment before looking away again.

 

“If you must know, I’ll tell you.  But you probably won’t want to see me again after tonight.”

 

Dean was more than a little confused.  Working a sex talk line didn’t seem like something to really be all that ashamed of.  Another thought came to mind.  One that made his stomach clench a little too tight around his still undigested food.

 

“You’re not like, a prostitute, right?”

 

Cas looked up sharply, his blue eyes wide.  “No!  God!  Is that how I made it sound?  I would never!”

 

Dean relaxed back against his side of the booth.  “I don’t pass judgment on anyone.”

 

“Well, I’m not.  The only sex I have is with men I date, and no money changes hands,” Cas snapped a little too loud. Dean felt like an ass for asking now. It wasn’t his business anyway. He held up his hands in defense.

 

“Look, it’s not my business anyway. Like I said before, I’m a curious bastard.  I just wondered because, your voice?  It’s like…liquid sex.  When you said entertainment industry, my first thought was porn but you said no, so then I thought maybe you’re like one of those guys on the sex hotlines, where people call in and you sort of…entertain them. I knew a girl once who did that. Her voice was made for it too. She was dating a friend of mine.”

 

Cas ran a hand nervously through his hair.  This was not first date discussion material.  It wasn’t that he was ashamed of what he did.  He didn’t sleep with customers, no one but the men he was actually dating ever got to see him completely naked, to hear what he sounded like as he climaxed, to know him intimately like that.  It was just handing out drinks when it was assigned to him and dancing.  The problem was that the men he dated didn’t like it.  To them, it equated to prostituting himself every time a man slipped a $20 into his G-string or tossed money at him as he danced on stage.  That wasn’t how he saw it though.  Every $20 was another textbook paid for, another meal bought.  Every $100 was another course paid in full.

 

“I do not work on a sex line.  I’m a dancer,” he said with a heavy sigh.  It wasn’t worth fighting. The date had been nice. What a way to end the night.  He’d hoped to see Dean at least a few times, maybe actually let the man see the real him, but no, the man would ask what kind of dancer, he’d say stripper, the disgust would appear on the man’s face, and that would be that.  End of date.

 

“Dancer.  As in a stripper or as in ballet?”

 

Cas couldn’t even bring himself to look Dean in the eye.  He felt sick.

 

“I’d like to go home now.  If you’d rather not drive me, I can call a cab.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, am I so terrible of a date that you need to run away from me?”  Dean sat forward and placed a hand over the one Cas still had on the table.  When the man tried to pull away, he held on tight.

 

“Cas, seriously, I don’t care. So you’re a dancer. From your reaction, I think I know what kind. I’m guessing that’s why you have such a killer body. Your thighs, they’re like a wet dream all by themselves.” Dean was flirting.  He wasn’t showing the outright disgust Cas had expected.  Still, he was wary.

 

“I’m not a prostitute.  I don’t sleep with the patrons.”

 

“Never said you did.”  Dean was still holding his hand but he stood up, coming around to sit on his side.  They sat close, their thighs pressed against one another’s, and it made Cas’ heart begin to race.

 

“Guys don’t generally like the fact that I dance for money.  It’s lucrative though, and I’m completely debt free as a result.”

 

“Mmm, so what I’m hearing is that you’re probably very flexible as well as gorgeous, and good at moving your body.  That’s fucking hot, Cas.  What, have guys accused you before of being a prostitute or something?”  Dean finally pulled his hand away only to slip it around the man’s shoulder and tug until he leaned against him.

 

“Every single time,”  Cas admitted.

 

“Wow, sounds like you’ve dated one douche after another.”  Dean’s fingers ran gently through the hair touching his collar but Cas was not paying attention.  He was too busy staring up at Dean with wide eyes full of surprise but also hesitation.

 

“You genuinely don’t care.”

 

“Nope.”  Dean really didn’t.  If Cas said he wasn’t sleeping with customers, then he believed him.

 

“Sometimes they can get fresh, but I don’t like it.  The bouncers make them leave.”

 

Dean’s fingers buried even deeper in his hair, and Cas found himself leaning into it more.

 

“Sounds like they’re doing what they can to keep you safe, though I think you can probably take damn good care of yourself if push came to shove.”

 

Cas smiled for the first time since this conversation had started.  It was shy and absolutely beautiful.

 

“I have a brown belt in karate and I know Tai Kwon Do.”

 

Dean grinned.  “So you’re a badass, just like I thought.  A sexy badass.”

 

Cas’ smile widened as he relaxed.  “You really don’t care?”

 

“It’s a job, Cas.  We all have one.  I can only imagine the cost that comes with trying to earn your doctorate.  Waiting tables or flipping burgers definitely wouldn’t cover that cost. If you’re worried that I won’t trust you, you don’t have to.  And I’m not jealous either.  I get to take you on dates and see this gorgeous smile up close.  And maybe one day I’ll even get to see that plug in action.  They never will.”  He winked, chuckling softly at the sweet blush that rose up on Cas’ cheeks.

 

“Jesus, where have you been all my life?”  Cas meant it jokingly, but a part of him was serious.  Where had Dean been all this time that it took him this long to meet him?

 

“Busy under the hood of a car, most likely.  How about you finish up your ice cream before it turns back into milk, and we’ll get out of here.  I know a great place to sit and look at the stars. Might not be the ideal first date, but-”

 

“No, that is absolutely perfect!  It’s romantic, and I like that.  No one has ever taken me stargazing before,” Cas said quickly. Somehow this was turning out to be a great date. Aside from some self-doubt and a bit of attitude on his part, Dean still wanted to spend time with him, so that was a plus.

 

“Great.  I really am having a nice night.  I like you, Cas.”

 

Cas smiled and leaned a little closer as he picked his spoon back up to finish his dessert.

 

“I like you, too.”


	6. Chapter 6

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“You did what?”

 

Cas’ sigh was almost dreamy as he unbuttoned his shirt.

 

“We went stargazing.  We laid back on the hood of his car and pointed out the constellations that we knew.  He talked about how when he was little, before his mom died, she would put a blanket out on the grass and they would lay down on it and look up at the night sky.  She would teach him about the stars, and they would discuss the stories associated with each one.  He knew more than I did.  I could identify the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.  Dean knew dozens of them.”

 

Anna giggled before sighing herself.  “It sounds romantic.  So you had a good time then?”

 

“Yes, I had a wonderful time.  He wanted to take me out tomorrow but I explained that I have to work, so instead, he’s taking me out Sunday since I’m off by 11.  We’re meeting for a late dinner and to talk some more.”

 

“He knows.  You told him?”  She was shocked.

 

“I did.  I was ready to call a cab because I expected the worst, but he turned out to be amazing and sweet, and I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt.  He’s coming by the club Sunday, so he’ll see what it’s like.  If he can’t handle it, well, it will hurt because I really like him, but at least I’ll know for sure.  If he can, well, then maybe this could be something really nice, you know?”  He shrugged out of his jeans and hung them back up in the closet.  When he returned to the bed he picked his phone up and carried it with him to the bathroom to brush his teeth.  Anna had called once while they’d been out star gazing and then again once he’d gotten home, eager for gossip on how the date had gone.  Sometimes he thought she lived vicariously through him.  

 

“I hope it works out for you.  You deserve someone that will treat you well.  So, where did you go for dinner and what did you eat?”

 

After he finished brushing his teeth he carried the phone back to his room and crawled under the covers, laying it on the pillow next to his head as he went over the details of their date.

 

“And did you kiss?”

 

He snickered and smiled almost dreamily.  If she was there she’d be teasing him about it.

 

“He kissed me on the cheek when he dropped me off.  Anna, he’s a gentleman.  I can’t believe I met someone so sweet.”

 

“He sounds like Jeremy.  Jer was so sweet when we started dating.  He still is, don’t get me wrong, but he stole my heart pretty quick in the beginning,”  she said.

 

“He’s snarkier than Jer but more mature and polite than Gabe, if you can picture it.  I can’t wait to see him again.”

 

“I had another reason for calling, but I definitely wanted date details,” she said, changing the subject.

 

“What, you need me to babysit?”

 

“Yes, actually.  Jeremy has a convention to attend and he wants me to come with, but we can’t bring the kids. It will be right after you graduate. We have to travel to Atlanta and we would like to fly, that way we get there and back quickly. Maybe Lexi can come and help you a bit? She’s good with the kids.”

 

“As long as it’s after graduation, that’s fine.  How long will I have them?”  he asked.

 

“Ok, so the convention is from July 21st to the 23rd.  We will fly back the evening of the 23rd and if it’s ok with you, pick the kids up the morning of the 24th.”  He could hear her flipping through the planner she kept on the desk in her house, no doubt double checking all the plans.

 

“Sure, that should be fine.  I told Fergus that I’ll be… _retiring_ in the second week of August.  My job at the university begins on August 22 nd.”  He sat up to look through the planner on his phone, double checking the dates.  “He owes me vacation time anyway.  I’ll take off that weekend and if you want to make it easier on yourself, drop them off Thursday night.  That way you’re not rushing Friday morning.”

 

“You are a true blessing, honey.  Thank you.  Jeremy is going to be so relieved!  When he gets home I will let him know.”  She sounded relieved.  He was glad he could give her that peace of mind.  They chatted for a few more minutes before she excused herself to go change a diaper.  With the call ended, he noticed he had a text waiting.

 

 **Dean:**  I had an amazing time tonight.  I’m so glad I worked up the nerve to ask you out, even if I did manage to tick you off by dessert.  Thank you for not telling me to go to hell and leaving.  I’m looking forward to seeing you again Sunday.

 

His heart fluttered reading those words, and he grinned as he typed back.

 

 **Cas:**  I am sorry I was so defensive.  It’s just, I’ve been burned in the past.  Sometimes on the first date.  You’re so nice and sweet, I was sure you would hate me for it.  It means a lot that you’re willing to give me another chance. I had a wonderful time tonight as well, and I am excited for Sunday.

 

 **Dean:**  I won’t do that to you Cas.  Like I said earlier, I like you, and I want to continue getting to know you better.  I’m heading to bed now; I have work in the morning, but I’ll text you.  Sleep well.

 

 **Cas:**  You as well, Dean.


	7. Chapter 7

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“You have to be kidding me.   _This_ is the theme tonight? I thought it was Egypt?”  Cas held up the costume that was supposed to be his uniform for the night and scowled at it.

 

“It received better reviews when I polled our clientele,”  Fergus smirked.  Cas sighed.  So much for not getting groped tonight.

 

“This isn’t even remotely accurate.”  Cas muttered as he began getting ready.  “Do I have to carry the shield around too?”

 

“It will sling over your back when you’re not using it in your act.  Tonight you’ll be in the group show with Cole, Ruby, and I hired a new fellow.  He will be the Bucky to your Captain.”  Fergus’ smile was almost a leer.  Cas hated when he was like that.

 

“Good for him.  I’m not doing anything inappropriate with him.”

 

Fergus’ smile faltered only for a second before coming back even wider.  “Yes, well, there is something called Stucky, and it’s a pairing between Captain America and his best buddy, Bucky Barnes.  So you are going to make the attraction seem real, understand?  Get to know him, seduce him.  Make the crowd believe it.”

 

Cas had slipped the blue thong on and was securing the belt in place as his boss talked.  Fergus was polite enough to pace and avert his eyes as he rambled on about his expectations, not that Cas gave a damn what the expectations were.  There was a shiny blue cape, the mask, blue boots, and wrist cuffs to wear as part of the ensemble.  So his chest, legs, and ass would be on full display.

 

All.

 

Night.

 

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he continued getting ready.  At least the shield was lightweight, just plastic made to look like it was crafted from metal.

 

“So where is this new guy?”

 

“Serving, for now.  He’ll have a 15 minute bit with you and the others later, and then it will be back to serving for him.  I want to get a gauge for his abilities.  If he’s any good he’ll replace you for a while.”  Fergus stopped pacing and turned to look at him, one eyebrow raising as he took in Cas’ costume.  “Very nice.  You might make even more in tips tonight.”

 

Cas took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “God I hope so; I have the last of my course fees to finish paying off, and I’d rather not dip into my savings to do it.”

 

“I’ll be sad to lose you.  You make me a lot of money, plus you’re not an asshole,”  Fergus told him.  Cas had to admit, the man ran a clean club and treated his employees well.  Not like Hot Bodies up in Effingham where everyone was doing drugs, from the dancers to the patrons to the cops that stopped in under the guise of investigating reports of rape and assaults.  Cole had come from there and though he had never done drugs himself, he had seen many of his friends overdose in the time he spent there.  He had to get out of there, and get his family somewhere better.  Fergus took him in and laid down the rules.

 

“It’s been a blast working here, but I’m dying to teach for real already.  I’ve been in school forever now.”  Cas was being honest.  He really had enjoyed his time working here.

 

“I feel the need to let you know, I did not ban Patrick permanently since all he did was proposition you, but I’m not above doing so if he continues to harass you.  If he does so tonight, please let me know immediately,”  Fergus said.

 

“So, he’s out there right now?”  Cas really didn’t like Patrick.  Sure, the man tipped well, but he was also one that liked to grope and leer, and he was one of the few people to make him uncomfortable.

 

“He arrived about 10 minutes after you walked in.  I told Victor and Jesse to keep a close eye on him tonight, both while you’re serving and while you’re dancing.”  Fergus took the safety of his employees very seriously.  Cas wasn’t too worried about Patrick.

 

“Sounds good.  And thank you.  I appreciate it.”

 

Fergus offered a small but genuine smile before he started for the doors.

“You’re on tables 19 thru 23 until 10.  Chop, chop!”  With a quick clap of his hands, he slipped out of the locker room area and back out into the club itself.  

 

Once he was alone Cas went to check out his reflection in the full length mirror near the bathroom.  He adjusted himself, making sure everything was tucked into the tiny piece of blue fabric and would not slip out and embarrass him as he danced.  His skin shimmered from the combination of baby oil and edible glitter he had added before getting dressed.  He was the Captain America of every gay man’s fantasy, and it made him chuckle.  As he closed his locker up and tucked the key away he wondered what Dean would think if he saw him dressed up like this.  He liked to think the man would be turned on.  It brought a smile to his face that not even Patrick could ruin.


	8. Chapter 8

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Patrick stared hard while Cas served drinks, no doubt trying to determine whether it was him underneath the mask.  He’d been assigned to the tables across the room from where Patrick was sitting and thankfully, all of the tables were full so the man couldn’t just move over to one of his.  Fergus had done that on purpose.  The place was full because it was a Saturday night so unless he stalked around the room following Cas, he wasn’t able to bother him.  Jesse was standing not far from Patrick’s table while Victor remained at the door, checking identification.  Saturdays were usually a mix of men and women, and tonight was no different.  There were, of course, more men, and the majority of the women were not straight.  That was why dancers like Ruby, Mandy, Hannah, and Ginny were employed.

 

Cas could see the new guy.  He was very tall with dark hair that hung in his face, just like Bucky Barnes, and an absolutely stellar body.  One arm had been painted to look like the Winter Soldier’s artificial one.  That way he could still serve without it hindering his job.  Cas had to admit, the guy’s body was gorgeous, but the lack of flirting and the awkward reactions when male patrons came on to him told Cas that the man was either not openly out and wasn’t used to being flirted with like that, or he was straight.  He actually hoped the man was straight; it would make dancing with him later much easier.  There was no worry that he’d be attracted to him, but he didn’t want the guy developing a crush on _him_.  It had happened in the past, and it never did anyone any good.

 

The first show happened at eight.  A 20 minute break in the middle of serving to entertain the customers.  The music increasing and turning to the theme song from the Avengers cued Cas that it was time to head up to the stage.  When the spotlight hit him he placed a hand on the shoulder of the man he’d just served a whiskey sour to and did a slow roll of his hips that led into a smooth roll back and away from the table of his entire body.  With a quick skip across the room, weaving around tables, he leapt onto the stage, falling forward into a somersault that had the crowd cheering as he repeated the same roll against the floor, moving fluidly before springing back to his feet.  Bucky, or whatever his name really was, stood a few feet away, hands behind his head as he slowly swirled his hips.  It was driving people crazy and already people were throwing money at the stage.  Behind him Cole moved closer, hands coming to rest on Cas’ hips as he rolled his hips forward.  

 

To the audience it looked like he was grinding against Cas from behind, but they had done this so many times now that he was actually maintaining a few inches of distance.  A tap against Cas’ left hip told him when to move, and right as the music changed he spun out and away, dragging the shield off his back and slipping his left arm through it.  Cole was apparently Iron Man, and they did a mock battle where Cas had to pretend to protect Bucky whose hands had come around Cas, sliding over his chest and stomach as they did a smooth dance across the stage.  Fergus preferred spontaneity and no previous rehearsals.  Cas was so used to it by now, Cole too, that they moved as though they had done this a million times before.  In truth it was just the same dance they’d done for other acts, just in the form of Avengers.  Bucky though was new to all of this, and more than once he lost his footing.  Cas caught him before he fell off the stage and pulled the man close, one arm coming around his waist to hold him upright.  The man was tall and he had to look up at him.  Long hair swept aside and he found himself looking into surprised hazel eyes.

 

“Sam?!” he gasped.  Thanks to the loud music the only man to hear him was Sam himself.

 

“Cas?!”

 

Instinctively Cas wanted to drop his arm and step back. This just got really, _really_ awkward.

 

“Call me James, it’s my stage name. Never use real names here.”

 

Sam nodded.  Cas swung the shield back when Cole pretended to shoot at him, and then in a smooth move that left Sam standing alone on the far end of the stage, Cas did a flip in midair that ended with him dropping into the splits to duck a fake blow by Cole, and then he was swinging a leg around as if to knock Cole down, except the man did a backflip, earning loud cheers and whistles from the crowd.  Someone was at the edge of the stage waving a $50 in Cas’ face so he grabbed it and stuffed it in his belt where there was a secret pouch.  He swung his legs around and was on his feet a second later, lunging at Cole, smiling as he anticipated every move the other man made.  The entire performance culminated with Cole laying on his back on the stage, the light on his chest dimming as he pretended to die.  Cas spun around, pulling Sam into his arms and causing the crowd to go absolutely insane with cheers.

 

“Normally I’d be expected to kiss you, but seeing as how I’m dating your brother, I’d rather not.  Nothing personal.”  He said just loud enough for Sam to hear.  Sam’s laugh was deep as he patted Cas on the back.

 

“Nah, man, it’s fine.  I wasn’t relishing the idea of kissing you either, if I’m being honest.  It’s too awkward.”

 

Cas winked before releasing Sam and moving to the edge of the stage where Cole was already scooping up the money that had been tossed at them.  When they did group performances like this anything that wasn’t handed directly to them, they split equally.  Sam followed their lead, grabbing the bills off the floor and stuffing them inside the belt at his own waist.

 

“Now what are we supposed to do?”  Sam asked.

 

“Now, we dance down amongst the tables.  More tips, especially if you move your hips,”  Cole explained.

 

“Can you go that way?  Patrick’s at table nine and I don’t want to deal with him tonight, or ever again, if I can help it,” Cas asked his friend.  Cole glanced at the table in question before nodding.

 

“No problem man.  Time to go.”

 

Cole did a rather smooth slide down from the stage.  Hardly anyone ever took the stairs.  The tables were set back far enough that after Cas stood up, he did a little dance, rolling his hips as he ran his hands down his chest, eliciting more cheers from the crowd, and then he did a flip off the stage, landing on his feet and slipping immediately into a fluid dance that took him past tables where he flirted and danced, shaking and grinding his ass against customers, smiling to himself when money was shoved into his belt.  He was glad that it rested in just such a way that nothing could be shoved into his actual G-string.  The sweat glistened on his body making the glitter shimmer even more and by the time the music had ended, he was exhausted.  He had a 15 minute break and apparently so did Sam, who was following him back to the locker room.  The door had barely closed before the younger man was on him, firing questions off.

 

“Does Dean know?”

 

“How long have you done this?”

 

“You don’t fool around with the customers, do you?”

 

“Are the tips really as good as this?”

 

“Why are you dancing?”

 

Cas held up a hand as he pulled the mask off.  He just needed a moment to catch his breath.  Once he had, he began stripping off the costume and counting his tips.  Nice, $343.  Not including what he had made before the performance.

 

“Ok, to answer your questions.  Yes, Dean knows.  In fact, he’s coming tomorrow night and then we’re going out for a late dinner when my shift ends.  I’ve been doing this for 7 years now, I have _never_ slept with a customer and I never will.  Tips are fantastic if you are enthusiastic and pretend to like the customers, regardless of whether you find them repulsive or not.  The more you smile and flirt, the better the tips.  The money is why I dance.  I have made enough to pay my way through earning my doctorate.  I’m good at what I do.”

 

Sam laughed as he wiped away the black eyeshadow that had been smudged around his eyes.

 

“Yeah. I could tell.  Everyone seemed to love all the flips and stuff.  I can’t do that.  I’ll try to smile more.  I made about a $100 tonight in tips, not counting what we made up on the stage.  When do we get that money?”

 

“Right now.  I divided it 3 ways,” Cole announced as he came through the door.  He was already stripping off his mask, and he shoved money at the other 2 men before continuing on to the showers to wash off the red paint he was covered in.

 

“You need help getting that off?”  Cas asked him.

 

“I’ll let you know in a few.  I have a brush on a stick so hopefully I can get all this crap off!”  Cole was naked and disappearing into the showers a second later while Cas counted out his money.  Sam was gaping a bit at Cole and when Cas looked up at him, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

 

“It’s a job, one that happens to come with quite a bit of nudity, but _only_ back here, where the only people that will see your junk are people that don’t give a crap about it.  If you’re shy, this isn’t the right job.”

 

Sam tucked a lock of hair behind one ear before he started counting out his share.

 

“Nah, I’m not shy.  I actually danced out in Cali.  Dean doesn’t know that though.  It was how I managed to avoid asking him to cover more of my expenses.  But I wasn’t making money like this.  It was a ladies club there.  The nearest ladies club in this area is like, 2 hours north of here.”

 

“So, you’re straight?”  Cas asked.  Another $271 was in his hands.  Satisfied, he tucked it into the safe inside his locker, along with the rest of his tips for the night so far.  It was shaping up to be another $1000 night if he kept up the smiles and flirting.

 

“Not…exactly?”  Sam was blushing hard, not meeting Cas’ eye.

 

“Hmm.  Well, that’s fine.  Cole’s straight, Jake, if he ever comes back, is gay, I’m gay, Ruby is bi, Mandy is straight, Ginny is lesbian, Gordon is bi, but, uh, you’ll want to watch out for him.  He’s not a nice guy.”  Cas stripped down quickly and changed into the outfit Fergus had designated for tonight’s solo performance.  A quick check of the time told him he went on stage in less than 10.

 

“I’m still meeting people.  Those names don’t sound familiar.”

 

“Oh, that’s because we all have stage names.  I go by James.  Cole goes by Cody.”

 

“Yo!”  Cole called out, hearing his name being said.  Cas snickered and continued on.

 

“Jake goes by Smooth Mo, Ruby goes by Rose, she thinks she’s super witty with that one, Mandy goes by Ashley, Ginny goes by April, and there are more.  Slowly you’ll get the hang of it.”

 

“So what, you have another performance now?”  Sam asked as he eyed the outfit Cas was wearing.  It was a stretchy, break-away tux that hugged the man’s ass and stomach while emphasizing his dick.  Sam had been busy counting his money while Cas had changed his thong.  The one he wore now was black with _007_ embroidered across the front, and 2 tiny, fake guns hung off the ties on each hip.  Thankfully the ties were fake, so no one could be sneaky and open the thong up.  In the 7 years he had worked here, only one man had been rude enough to yank his thong down.  The man had been forcibly removed from the club, banned for life, and Fergus had given him the rest of the night off.  It had been embarrassing.  Since then he’d been careful to keep hands off whatever straps made up his thong, and there was a no-touch policy in place for the dancers’ groins.  One word from him or another performer and that was it, the offender was kicked out.  Another reason why this was a safe place to work.  

 

“I go on in just a few.”  Cas had pulled his phone out, smiling when he saw he had a text from Dean.  The man was shooting the breeze, and Cas liked that Dean did such simple little things like that with him.

 

“That Dean?  Please don’t tell him I’m working here.  He thinks Charlie gave me a job at the shop.  She did offer me one, but I need a lot more money than what she can pay me,”  Sam said.

 

“Your secret is safe with me.”  Cas assured him.

 

“Time!”  Jesse had pushed the door open and yelled in.

 

“You didn’t change.  Lose the Bucky gig, change your thong, and store your money in your locker.  Fergus likes punctuality.”  Cas said as he started for the door.  Sam nodded.

 

“Yeah, ok, I’ll be out in just a minute.”

 

Cas nodded, shooting him a wink before he was grabbing his fake gun and heading back out.  This was his favorite dance skit.  The goal tonight was $1000, and he was halfway there already.


	9. Chapter 9

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Cas went home with just under $900, and he was very pleased.  It still amazed him that being nowhere near a really “big” city, they got the customer volume that they did.  Fergus had once said it was because he ran a classier establishment, and it was the only one in the area that catered to gay men and women.  Other clubs were geared to entertain straight people.  That and he was a ruthless businessman who very quickly shut down any other clubs that happened to open within a 50 mile radius.  He had slipped back into the jeans and tee shirt he had arrived in and with a new text waiting from Dean, he left in a good mood.  Sam had walked him out after Patrick had tried again to speak to him and they had parted ways, each leaving in their own cars.  He’d been careful to make sure Patrick didn’t follow him, but he knew Victor wouldn’t even let him get close enough to the door to figure out which car was Cas’, let alone allow the guy to follow him.  

 

So the drive home was quiet, and he parked in the underground garage and made his way up to his place.  The condo was quiet, the only sound being the small fish tank in the corner by the TV.  After a long shower to rid himself of all the oil and glitter, he walked naked to his bedroom.  Most nights, save for the dead of winter, he preferred to sleep without anything between him and the sheets.  He’d never much cared for clothes and only wore them because societal norms dictated that he needed to.  There was another text waiting from Dean, and as he laid back against the pillows he read it.

 

 **Dean:** So the van is done.  I got a call today from Ellen saying Rufus was to bring it back tomorrow.  Are you going tomorrow?

 

 **Cas:**  I just walked in, and I am exhausted.  I will, but I am coming home to take a nap after.  I have to be at work at 4, that’s why I get off at 11.  I’ll be a zombie tomorrow if I don’t get some extra sleep.

 

 **Dean:**  You in bed then?  I won’t bother you anymore.

 

 **Cas:**  You’re not bothering me.  If I didn’t want to talk to you, I’d turn my phone off and go to sleep.  I’m not quite ready for that yet.  I just finished showering and I’m relaxing for a little bit before I actually close my eyes.

 

 **Dean:**  How was work tonight?

 

 **Cas:**  Long.  And my knees hurt.  I had to take some ibuprofen earlier.  I’m getting too old for this shit.

 

 **Dean:**  I’m a little nervous about tomorrow.  I’ve been to strip clubs before, for like bachelor parties and stuff, but I’ve never seen someone I’m dating actually dancing.

 

 **Cas:**  I hope you still will like me afterwards.

 

 **Dean:**  I don’t think it’s possible for me not to.  Do you do themes and stuff?  Like what did you wear tonight?

 

 **Cas:** Actually, we did an Avengers theme as a group, and I did some flips and splits.  I was Cap.  Killed Iron Man.  Then I did a solo as James Bond and another one as a cowboy.

 

 **Dean:**  Fuck, that’s hot!  Is there some kind of theme tomorrow?

 

 **Cas:** I perform 3 times.  Boss decided to up it, so I’m not on the floor serving most of the night.  Just so you know, the guy that I usually dance with?  He’s straight and married.  So you don’t get upset with anything we do.  It’s not like we make out, and we fake 95% of the grinding and stuff.  Customers are not supposed to know that though.  Also, don’t call me by my name.  Refer to me as James.  I go by my middle name at work so stalkers can’t come after me.  But yes, there are themes.  I was expecting Egypt today but the boss gave us Avengers at the last moment.  If he doesn’t change his mind tomorrow I think we’re doing a Doctor Sexy act.  Then I come back, do a doctor bit on my own, and my last one might be a simple strip.  Our boss lets us take it easier on Sundays.

 

 **Dean:**  Fuck, I’m getting hard just thinking about that!  Sorry, too soon, but damn.

 

 **Cas:**  Don’t apologize.  I am flattered that I turn you on.  You do the same for me, so nothing to feel bad about.

 

 **Dean:**  What time should I get there?

 

 **Cas:**  I doubt you want to drink your way through my entire shift, so if you want to see the Doctor Sexy bit, we’ll do that around 6, I’ll be on stage again at 8, and I go on one last time at 10:30.  After that, I get to breathe, change, and go home.

 

 **Dean:**  Well, I don’t want to seem creepy sitting there the whole night, so I think I’ll be there around 8 or so.

 

 **Cas:**  It’s going to be distracting knowing you’re in the audience.  I’ll have a hard time trying to keep my eyes off you.

 

 **Dean:**  That just means you’ll be dancing for me.  Well, that’s how I’m going to think about it.  Maybe one day I’ll get to see you do that.  Not there but you know, maybe at my place or something.  Shit, you must think I have a one track mind.  I am so sorry!  Really, I don’t.

 

 **Cas:**  We’ll work up to that, ok?  I want to kiss you a few times before I let you touch me, or before I touch you.  Even as exciting as that prospect is.  I want it to be something we have to look forward to.

 

 **Dean:**  Yeah, absolutely.  I am kissing you tomorrow when I see you.  I wanted to last night, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to since it was our first date.

 

 **Cas:**  I wouldn’t have minded it, but I respect that you decided to wait, and it makes the anticipation that much better.

 

 **Dean:**  It’s 4.  Service starts at 10.  You need sleep, sweetheart.

 

 **Cas:**  Fine.  But I’m going to dream of you.

 

 **Dean:**  My cheeks hurt.

 

 **Cas:**  Why?

 

 **Dean:**  Because of how much you make me smile.  Sleep well, babe.

 

 **Cas:**  You as well.  I will see you tomorrow night.

 

 **Dean:**  I can’t wait.


	10. Chapter 10

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

The alarm went off at 9 and Cas pulled himself out of bed.  He dressed, forgoing a shave until after he had come back to take a nap, and headed straight to church.  Anna was trying to control the 3 kids when he slid onto the bench beside her and wordlessly he grabbed his 2-year-old nephew and plopped the boy on his knee.  He handed the tot his phone, already with a game loaded, and immediately the boy settled down.  Anna mouthed a “thank you” to him as she got a game set up on a tablet for her 3-year-old daughter.  It was their routine as the sermon began.  Halfway through, the kids would be escorted down to the basement for Sunday school, but they still had to make it 30 minutes.

 

Jeremy was passionate in his sermon but Cas barely heard what he was saying.  He hadn’t had any coffee because he knew that if he drank some now, he’d never get back to sleep when he got home.  His sister and brother-in-law would no doubt invite him out to breakfast, but it wasn’t happening this week.  Something his brother-in-law said earned a noise of disapproval from across the room, and he turned to see John Winchester sitting front and center across the aisle.  He was alone, Kate and Adam most likely downstairs setting up for Bible study, sitting with his arms crossed and a frown on his face as he watched Jeremy.

 

“What did Jer say that John didn’t like?” he whispered to his sister.

 

“He’s talking about love and equality.  About accepting everyone.”  She whispered back.  Cas tuned in after that, listening to what Jeremy was saying while watching John grow angrier with each passing moment.  To witness such bigotry and hatred from a man that claimed to preach the word of God was infuriating, and clearly it was putting Jeremy on edge.  He no longer sounded confident as he stumbled over his words, eyes darting constantly over to where John sat glaring at him.  There was no reason for him to even be there, unless this was his idea of auditing a sermon. He decided to intervene. In a not so subtle way, he cleared his throat.  Jeremy’s gaze turned back to him, and he smiled encouragingly before giving him a thumbs up. It seemed to be the encouragement the man needed, for his voice steadied and his gaze panned out over the people gathered, pointedly ignoring the senior pastor.  Cas didn’t miss the death glare John shot his way.  He couldn’t resist shooting a smug smile right back.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

“Will you join us for breakfast?”  Anna asked after Jeremy had stepped down from the pulpit.

 

“No, honey, I’m so tired.  I didn’t get to bed until after 4, and I really need a nap before I head to work.  I don’t want to crash on the drive.”  Cas rubbed his sister’s arm apologetically.

 

“Working on the Sabbath is a sin.”

 

Cas turned to see John scowling a few feet away.

 

“Some of us have an education to pay for and bills to pay.  I help my brother with the costs for my disabled niece.  So staying home on a Sunday is not optional.  I’m sure that as a father you can understand that.”  His words carried an almost acidic undertone as he leveled the pastor with an icy gaze.

 

“Your brother must have sinned terribly for his child to have been born like that.  Had he led a pious life and devoted himself to God, she would be healed and whole again.”  John’s own glare was full of fury, and Cas wanted to sink his fist in the bastard’s face.  Repeatedly.  A small hand on his arm squeezing tightly reminded him that this was not the time to prove to an asshole like John Winchester that he was a sinner.

 

“At least my brother loves his child and never abandoned her.”

 

That made John flinch and his eyes grew even darker.  He turned and stormed out of the room.  A moment later the door to the basement slammed shut, bringing a halt to all conversations.

 

“Well then.”  Anna shifted her son Danny on her hip and sighed.

 

“I’m sorry, but that man makes me so mad.  How dare he insinuate that Lexi is disabled because of something my brother did?  He’s lucky we’re in a church or I’d have really given him a piece of my mind.”  Cas was ticked but there wasn’t anything he could do about it.  “I’m going home.  If Jeremy suffers any repercussions because of this, I truly do apologize.”  He leaned in and kissed her forehead softly before kissing Danny’s head too.  Faith and Sean were already downstairs with the other kids, so he wouldn’t get to say goodbye unless he went down there and that wasn’t happening with John freaking Winchester down there.

 

“Drive safe.  I’ll see you Wednesday,” she said.  He gave a short wave, nodding politely at people that bid him goodbye as he headed for the door.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

  


It was a short ride home and by the time he had reached his bedroom he had his shoes and pants off.  He collapsed face down in the bed and was asleep within minutes.  The alarm woke him at 1:30 and for the second time that day he had to drag himself out of bed.  This time, after a bathroom break, he headed for the kitchen where he had 2 cups of coffee as he slapped together a sandwich.  A shower came after that.

 

At 2:45 he got dressed, selecting his clothes carefully.  Dark blue, relaxed fit jeans, the pair he chose hugged his ass and thighs like they were designed just for him.  He’d received many compliments on them and seen many men and women practically drooling when he wore them.  It was going to be a warm night, so he opted against another button down, instead choosing one of his Old Navy tee shirts that hugged his chest and stomach.  Though sex was not currently on the table, he still wanted Dean’s undivided attention, and he knew how much the man already loved his body.  So maybe he was a little vain.  After being told as a child that beauty was a sin and being afraid to accept compliments or admissions of love, he had learned to love and accept himself, even if his parents couldn’t. With a  bit of gel in his hair and a silent prayer that Fergus wouldn’t make him coat his body in any disgusting substances tonight, he grabbed his keys and wallet, ready to head into work.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The club was not very busy when he arrived, so he was able to stop for a couple of minutes to chat with Balthazar before he headed back to change.  There was a note slipped into his locker by his boss with the schedule for the night.  That was usually how he communicated with the dancers and wait staff.  He was a busy man and didn’t often have the time to chat with his employees.  Cas was used to it after all these years though.  It came as a relief that tonight, things would be simple.  The only thing that had changed was that Fergus has swapped the group performance with his doctor strip.  That meant Dean would get to see him do that routine too.  Good.  For his final performance there was a sailor’s uniform hanging in the closet.  He knew he looked good in it and that it would be an easy strip tease, especially if he came down off the stage to give Dean a special performance.

 

Cole arrived only a few minutes after him, rushing to change into his scrubs and a lab coat.  The routine was usually to mingle, do a few lap dances, generally make the crowd happy before they went up on stage and did their actual show.  It was part of why the club was such a success.  He was already dressed in his own scrubs and styling his hair while Cole mumbled under his breath about crying babies and teething.  Cas was used to it after all this time.  This was his third kid and despite his grumbling, he knew Cole adored each and every one of them.

 

“Baby’s teething?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, cut his 2 front teeth this week and he’s miserable,” Cole replied.

 

“Use the Baby Orajel, I’m telling you.  My sister used it with all of her kids and I swear, not a single tear.  I’ll bring you a box, they have it for day and night.  It’s safe.  And frozen washcloths for him to chew on help too.”  Cas said.  Cole sighed heavily.  It didn’t look like he had gotten much sleep the night before.

 

“Yeah, ok. I’ll pay you back. At this point I’d do anything for a solid eight hours. Tommy had us up every two hours last night; he was in so much pain.”

 

“I’ll pick them up tomorrow and bring them,”  Cas promised.

 

Gordon arrived and changed silently into his own outfit.  Apparently tonight Fergus wanted him to wear a suit.  Cas was glad he wouldn’t have to do his routine with the man.  Usually his boss put him with Cole.  The two men got along well and because they did, it appeared as though they had chemistry with one another on stage.  Cas supposed they did, but it wasn’t the kind of chemistry that fueled their customers’ deepest fantasies.  It was the kind that came with nearly a decade of friendship. Cas was godfather to both of Cole’s daughters and when they baptized the baby, he’d be Tommy’s too.  One day, if he ever had kids of his own, he wanted Cole to be the godfather to at least one of his too.

 

Cole nudged his arm.

 

“You ready?”

 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,”  Cas replied as they headed for the door.  This night couldn’t go by fast enough.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

His performance with Cole went well, and afterwards they went in back to take their break.  At eight he headed back to change out of his sweaty scrubs, apply the baby oil that would make his skin glisten and make moving around so much easier, and put on the lacy thong he’d set aside especially for Dean.  After a fresh set of scrubs he downed a granola bar with some water and went to wait backstage.

 

When the music cued him on, he sauntered out onto the stage.  There was a chair waiting, and it was just part of his routine.  Placing his hands on the seat, he flipped over it, landing on the other side and doing a smooth roll of his hips.  He looked over his shoulder, giving the audience, which had definitely gotten larger, a flirty smile before dropping the lab coat he was wearing to the floor.  He kicked it out of the way before moving to stand behind the chair.  While dancers at other clubs often times use a pole, Fergus expected his dancers to use whatever he placed on the stage for them.  For Cas, it was a chair that was usually left out.  He swirled his hips with the beat of the music, this time rolling his entire body back and then forward with the sheer power of his abs.  It had taken him years to perfect that move, and he knew the effect it had on men.  Money was already being tossed at the stage, but he ignored it.  

 

He looked out across the audience, spotting Patrick first and trying not to let his distaste show, and then as he panned to the left he spotted Dean.  He flashed the man a flirty smile, winking at him once before putting his back to the room.  Placing his hands on his thighs, he slowly leaned forward, putting his ass on full display.  A peek back told him Dean’s eyes were riveted to the stage, and to him.  Good, that was exactly what he wanted.  His hands slid down until he was able to grab his ankles.  As he came back into a standing position he looked back over his shoulder again before finding the tear away edges of the top he was wearing and tugging hard.  It fell away in 2 pieces causing the room to erupt in cheers.  As he turned around, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of the scrub pants and did a little dance, keeping perfect time with the slow, sensual beat of the music.  He had danced to this particular song often enough that he knew the exact times to dip, roll, rock, and flip.  At the next chorus, he sat in the chair and pulled the first boot off.  Taking off shoes was a chore on its own but trying to be sexy about it was another story altogether.  Still, he managed to do so, mostly by making it look like he was humping the seat.  Slow rolls of his hips had men cheering, and even a few women.  The second boot came off, leaving him standing there barefoot.  He planted his feet wide apart and as the beat of the music picked up, he slid his hands down the insides of both thighs.  When the beat suddenly climaxed, he tore the pants off.  People were suddenly on their feet cheering so loud he could barely hear the music, but he was used to it by now.  He could still feel the music, and he finished out his routine, bowing at the end and smiling graciously.  When he looked over at Dean the man seemed almost entranced, jaw hanging slightly open, the clear outline of his erection straining against his jeans.  Cas collected his money and after exiting the stage, he walked over to Dean’s table and sat down.

 

“So, still interested?” he asked as he crossed his legs.  He needed a minute to catch his breath.

 

“Are you seriously asking me that?  I know you can see what you do to my body.”  Dean cocked one eyebrow and motioned not so subtly towards his crotch.  Cas grinned.

 

“You look damn good like that.  Too bad I can’t touch you.  It’s against policy.”

 

Dean pursed his lips, the look of annoyance on his face almost comical.

“Tease.  I thought we were waiting.”

 

Cas laughed; he couldn’t help it.  Dean was simultaneously both beautiful and adorable in that moment.

 

“We are, sweetheart.  It will come in time.  But I like knowing that I turn you on.  You’re the only man I want to turn on.”

 

Dean’s expression softened.  He sat forward and laid a hand on the table near the one Cas had resting there.  The tips of his fingers gently brushed across the back of Cas’ hand.

 

“How do tacos sound tonight?”

 

“They sound wonderful; I’m already hungry.”  Cas linked his pinky finger with Dean’s and smiled.  “I have to get back to dancing.  Why don’t you grab a drink at the bar?  Tell Balthazar that James said it’s on the house.”

 

“Ok.  Go on, gorgeous.  I want to enjoy the view.”

 

Cas laughed as he stood up.  With money in hand he started for the back to put it away.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Dean had been so excited to come tonight, but walking up to the doors and seeing his ex was the bouncer suddenly made things incredibly awkward.  Victor’s face lit up with a mixture of surprise and joy at seeing him.

 

“Dean!  What brings you down here?  You come for the show?”

 

They were the only ones outside at the moment so Victor pulled him into a hug.  When he stepped back he took a moment to look Dean over.

 

“You look really good, man.  It’s been too long.”

 

“Yeah, it’s been a while.  I’m uh, seeing someone.  He works here.”  Dean scratched nervously at the back of his neck as he tried not to let himself feel guilty for coming tonight.

 

“Oh?  Who you seeing?”

 

“Cas.  Goes by James?”

 

Victor grinned and nodded.  “Yeah, _James_ , he’s a good guy.  Hot too.  I can see why you like him.”

 

“It’s more than that.  He’s amazing, and smart as hell.  I really like him.”  It really was so much more than just Cas’ looks that attracted him to the man.  Victor’s smile softened and he nodded.

 

“On his way to being a doctor.  He’s quitting in a few weeks.  I’m gonna miss him.  Maybe that creep that stalks him will stop coming around then.  No one but staff knows he’s quitting.  He wants it that way.”

 

“Yeah, he told me.  He starts teaching at the end of August.  I’m really happy he has found his dream job.  His work hours will be closer to mine at that point, so I can take him out more often.  I don’t mind this though.  I’ll make time to see him.”  Dean was aware that he sounded like a heartsick teenage girl, but he didn’t care.  Victor stepped back.

 

“Keep it on the down low, but I won’t charge you a cover.  Go on in, enjoy the show, and then take your man out to dinner.  He’s going to be happy to see you.  Does he know you’re coming?”

 

“Yes, he invited me,”  Dean replied.

 

“That’s showing some serious trust.  I’ve seen that poor guy’s heart get broken too many times to count.  You treat him good; he deserves it.”

 

Dean relaxed a bit more.  He and Vic were good.  It wasn’t half as awkward as he had feared.

 

“I plan on it.”

 

Once inside he wandered over to the bar.  Dancers were moving about and a man with short, dark hair moved around him, twirling and moving his hips before moving on.  He sat down at the bar and ordered a whisky.  The bartender set it down in front of him and he slapped a $20 on the counter.

“Open tab?”  The bartender had a smooth, English accent that pulled Dean’s attention back.

 

“Uh, yeah.  But I’ll be heading over to a table before the show starts.”

 

“Have a seat at 17.  Look on the side, you’ll see the number.  I’ll bring another one out in a few,” the Englishman said. Dean nodded and stood up.  He picked up his glass and walked towards the tables that surrounded the stage.  It wasn’t hard to see numbers that were on the sides of each table as well as on placards sitting atop each one, and he chose a chair that left him facing the stage.  He didn’t see Cas anywhere, but the man was around, he was sure of it.  More than a few times he heard the name “James” being said by one patron or another and he tried not to let jealousy get the better of him when he heard them talking about how sexy Cas was, or how spectacular his ass was.  

 

Cas had assured him that he didn’t fool around, and he had no reason to think the man was lying.  So he sipped at his drink and ignored the men in his general vicinity that flirted with him.  A few were attractive, but there was only one person he was interested in.

 

The lighting dimmed just a bit and the music changed.  He caught on quickly.  Cas’ act was about to start.  When he saw Cas come out on the stage dressed from head to toe like he belonged on Doctor Sexy, his jaw nearly hit the floor.  The place was filling up, as though they knew this was the time when Cas would be dancing and they all were coming to see.

 

Every time Cas made eye contact with him, it sent a jolt of arousal through him and the more clothing that got dropped, the tighter his jeans got.  He was already deeply attracted to the man, but seeing Cas like this had him fighting not to come right in his pants.  The painful hard on he was sporting was already embarrassing enough.  Maybe seeing Cas dancing erotically while he imagined what it would be like to watch him doing it in the privacy of his bedroom was not what he should be doing for their second date.  The way Cas moved was so graceful and smooth it was obvious he’d been at this for a long time, and he found himself watching little things like the curve of Cas’ neck or the way his shoulder blades became visible when he grabbed the back of the chair and rolled his hips.  His body shimmered, and Dean was mesmerized by a small tattoo on the corner of Cas’ hip.  It wasn’t until his act was over and he was walking over that he could make out what the tattoo even was.

 

It was a small pair of black wings.

 

“So, still interested?”  Cas had asked as he sat down.  There was a cocky smirk on the man’s lips, but his eyes betrayed him.  There was a nervous sort of insecurity hidden there, and he didn’t want the man thinking there was any chance he wasn’t interested.

 

“Are you seriously asking me that?  I know you can see what you do to my body.”

 

He hadn’t really wanted to draw attention to his aching cock, not this soon in their…

 

Was this a relationship?  He liked to think there was the potential for it. Anyway, he wasn’t quite ready for Cas to see him like that, but the surprised and downright pleased expression that lit up those blue eyes told him he had said the right thing. Their conversation was brief, and then Cas had to get back to work.  He watched the man go, which was a mistake because seeing that tight little ass wearing nothing but a nearly nonexistent thong, it did things to him.

 

“You must be James’ new beau.”  The Englishman was there with a fresh drink.

 

“Oh, yes, we’re dating.”  Dean accepted the new drink and handed over the empty glass.

 

“He’s a good man.  Don’t break his heart.” There was no malice in the man’s words, but he got the feeling that the bartender was privy to something Dean was not.  It wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on.  Cas had said he didn’t date customers.  He’d never said he hadn’t dated co-workers.

 

“I have no intentions of doing that.”

 

The man offered a small smile and a pat on the shoulder.

 

“Good.  It’s about time some good fortune came his way.  Try not to let the leering and cat calls bother you too much.”

 

With that he was heading back towards the bar.  Cheering drew Dean’s attention and Cas was back, dressed in an outfit that wasn’t much more than a silver pair of booty shorts and matching boots.  The man had moves and he had to admit, he was more than a little impressed when a man with blonde hair suddenly came up behind him and grabbed him.  He watched closely and realized Cas was right, to those not paying close attention, it definitely looked like he was grinding up against Cas from behind, but there was a small gap between their bodies, barely perceptible.  That must be Cole.  He sipped at his drink and watched as the two men, now joined by two more, made their way around the room, dancing and flirting while two women took the stage.  

 

“Enjoyed the show, did you?”

 

Dean looked up just as a man with dark hair and sparkling eyes sat down in the chair Cas had vacated earlier.

 

“I did, and I’m looking forward to the next one,” he replied.

 

“Next one’s on now.”  The man had an accent Dean recognized.  Irish, if he was hearing it right over the loud music.

 

“Not that show.”  Dean took another sip of his drink as his eyes sought out and locked on Cas again.  God the man was beautiful.

 

“He doesn’t date the customers, if that’s what you were hoping for.”  The man seemed cocky, and he sat back with his own drink, his dark eyes watching Cas as he floated around the room.

 

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a customer.”

 

Dean knew already that this was the man he’d been warned about.  Didn’t take a genius to realize he wanted Cas for himself and saw Dean as a potential threat after he’d seen Cas come over to sit at his table earlier.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You heard me.  I was invited tonight.  By James.”  Almost as an afterthought, and just to rub salt into it, he added, “ _My boyfriend._ ”

 

The man looked like his head might explode.

 

“The hell you say?  Boyfriend?  Since when?”

 

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.  I’m not dating him because he’s a dancer.  He’s an amazing guy, and I enjoy his company.”  Dean didn’t like this man.  When he caught Cas’ eye he saw the brief flash of panic and the way he came to a stop.  Cole, who was dancing only a few feet away, noticed, and then he was motioning to someone nearby.

 

“Hey, you’re not harassing James’ man, are you?”  Victor was suddenly at their table, planting his hands on it as he leaned in so both men could hear him clearly over the music.

 

“No, we were just…getting to know one another.”  The dark-haired man seemed irritated, and his previous smug nature had disappeared, revealing a more slippery, snakelike side.

 

“He wants to know details about my relationship with James, but I’m not telling him or anyone else what we do behind closed doors.”  Dean spoke to Victor but loud enough that the other man bristled at the words.

 

“That’s rather rude, Pat.  I think maybe you should return to your table or go home.”  Victor meant business.  There was a warning in his voice and in his eyes.

 

“Fekkin hell.”  The man slammed his drink down on the table as he got to his feet.

 

Without a word, he walked out the door.

 

“I take it that’s James’ stalker?”  Dean asked once the man was gone.  Victor relaxed, looking over at Cas, who gave him a grateful smile from across the room.

 

“Yeah, Patrick is a regular.  Whatever night James is working, he’s here, almost from the start of his shift until the end.  Most of the time he’s civil but a few days back he came on to James and had him pressed back against a wall trying to convince him to go out with him.  Wouldn’t take no for an answer until we had to remove him.  Poor James, it left him pretty shaken up.  If Patrick wasn’t a big spender and quiet most of the time the boss would ban him from here, but his logic is pretty sound.  If Patrick is in here where we can watch him, he’s not out in the parking lot lurking, waiting for James’ shift to end.  When he first started coming here, that’s what he would do.  For a good six months or so one of us would have to walk him out to his car every night because Patrick kept flirting and coming on to him in a way that left everyone within hearing range quite uncomfortable.  He has asked James out a few times, but more like he was joking, until the other day.  We watch out for one another here, but I’m sure he’s glad he’ll be moving on to his new job and won’t have to deal with assholes like that anymore,”  Victor explained.  

 

Dean looked over to where Cas was talking with another patron, smiling and laughing at something the man was saying.  His body language said he wasn’t interested in the patron at all, not that Dean thought he would be.  When he looked up and saw Dean watching him again, he smiled wider and started walking over.

 

“And that’s my cue to go back to what I was doing.”  Victor patted Dean’s shoulder before returning to his spot watching the crowd.  Apparently another man was now watching the doors if he was inside.  Dean hadn’t paid much attention to that part.

 

“Dean, this is Cody.  I told you his real name earlier.”  Cas introduced the other dancer, and Dean smiled as he shook the man’s hand.

 

“Nice to meet you, man.  You guys sure have some moves.”

 

Cole laughed, even as he shrugged.  “I was in a dance troupe in high school, and I did theater for a few years before I got into this.  I like dancing.”

 

“I like dancing too.  It’s an easy way to make money,”  Cas added.

 

“Especially when you have little ones at home,”   Cole agreed.

 

“His wife works at a daycare, so they at least save some money that way.  But I babysit sometimes.”  Cas smiled at his friend.  Cole smiled back.

 

“Yeah, James here has been around to see all my kids born.  He’s good friends with my wife too.”

 

Their friendship reminded him of his own with Charlie.  Good friends were hard to find.

 

“That’s awesome.”

 

“You sticking around for his last show?”  Cole asked.

 

“Sure am.  Wouldn’t miss it,”  Dean replied.

 

“Good.  Walk him out afterwards, in case that ass lingered in the parking lot, or came back.  I’m going to talk to Ray, see if he saw Patrick driving out.”  Cole patted Cas on the arm and offered one last polite smile to Dean before heading for the front doors where a man twice as big as Victor was now on watch.

 

“You have to dance more?”  Dean asked.  Cas sighed and nodded.

 

“Yeah.  But then I head in back to get ready for my last show.”

 

“I’ll be right here waiting,”  Dean told him.  Cas smiled.

 

“Good.”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The evening seemed to fly by.  The dancers were entertaining, but so were the people getting drunk enough to hit the dance floor.  The music was loud and not what Dean normally liked, but it was at least tolerable.  There was a new show about every 15 to 30 minutes, and it alternated.  Cole did his own dance, earning himself nearly as many cheers as he had when he’d danced with Cas.  A blonde girl in a super short (and super tight) dress with a ruffled petticoat was up after him.  Dean got his free drink from the bartender, whose name he learned was Balthazar, but cut off the whisky after 3 and switched to iced tea.  Cas’ final performance was fantastic and he could see why the man did this job.  If you got over the embarrassment of being objectified and leered at, the money was fantastic.  It was a Sunday night, and men were throwing more than just $1 bills up on the stage.  As Cas crawled across it, bills were shoved in the waistband of his thong or into his hands.  When the performance was over he collected his money and gave a polite bow.  Dean watched him exit and disappear through a door near the back marked “employees.”  Twenty minutes later he was walking out dressed in jeans, a tee shirt, and flip flops.  The very sight made Dean laugh in amusement, though Cas was still too far away to hear him over the music.

 

“Do you want me to follow you, or should I drop my car off first?  I need to stop by the bank as well.”  Cas leaned in to be heard over the music but Dean was already getting to his feet.

 

“Let’s drop your car off and I’ll take you by the bank.  Deposit, right?”

 

Cas nodded and Dean held out a hand, earning a beautiful smile as Cas took it.

 

“Yep, I don’t want to walk around with so much cash.”

 

“I don’t blame you.  Come on.”


	11. Chapter 11

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

After dropping off Cas’ car and stopping by the bank, they drove to a diner near Dean’s shop.  They were shown to a booth and given menus.

 

“I want to pay tonight,”  Cas announced.

 

“Yeah?  Ok.”  Dean was used to paying but hey, if Cas wanted to foot the bill, he wasn’t going to complain.

 

“What did you think about tonight?  Too much?”  Cas asked once he had decided what he wanted and set his menu aside.

 

“Nah.  I’m a pretty open-minded guy.  I get that it’s a job, and I really envy you for finding a way to pay for your classes that left you without any debt.  I, uh, don’t have as nice a body as you, so I don’t think it would have paid as well if I’d gotten into it.  Plus, my legs are bowed.  Not really so attractive.  I wish I’d have thought of it though.  Maybe like, 8 or 9 years ago or something.  Now I’m just too fat.”

 

Dean laughed at his self-deprecation, but Cas didn’t like hearing him talk like that.

 

“Dean, you’re beautiful.  The dancers might have nice bodies, but the work that goes into maintaining a physique like that is ridiculous.  I run, I hit the gym, I eat so damn many salads it’s ridiculous, and when I’m not eating salads, I’m working out to burn off whatever calories I took in.  When I first got into this, I had no problem with anything I ate.  I hit about 25 though and suddenly I had to run farther, and not just for the pleasure. I needed to start burning calories. I had to start doing more sit ups, crunches, all of that crap. Even when I stop dancing, I’ll still work out and run, though perhaps not as much as I currently do. And I look forward to not having to wax anymore. I hate getting waxed. But if you think all the dancers look great, I hate to be the bearer of bad news.  Flirting, smooth dance moves, and makeup go a long way to help.  Personally, if you were a dancer, I’d think you were just as gorgeous as I already know you are.  And you are _not_ fat.”

 

Dean reached across the table and took his hand.

 

“Thanks.  I got into mechanics and it pays pretty well, especially since I’m the only auto shop in town.  I think I’d be in trouble if another shop opened up.  I can do anything, from the minor stuff like oil changes all the way up to the big stuff, like rebuilding engines and transmissions.  Dancing just wasn’t in my cards.  But I liked getting a chance to see you up there.  Not like I didn’t already think you were the sexiest thing on 2 legs, but that just further proved it.”

 

Cas’ laughter was soft, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as they met Dean’s.

 

“You flatter me too much, but thank you.  I just wanted to be sure you weren’t weirded out.  The last guy I saw with any regularity, he got very jealous and very mean about it.  He couldn’t, or wouldn’t, understand that I’m not that kind of guy.  I know people that are, but I’m not one of them.”

 

“So, how many kids does Cole have?”  Dean asked.

 

“Three.  Dahlia is six, Emery is two and Tommy is five months.  I’m godfather to the two oldest and when they get around to baptizing Tommy, I’ll be his as well.”  Cas loved his friend’s children.

 

“That’s wonderful.  Charlie asked me to be Luke’s godfather.  I, uh, should probably tell you something about that.”  Dean rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand as he stared at the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

 

“Did you donate for her and her wife?  Is that it?”  Cas figured if Dean was that close of friends with Charlie and her wife, he probably had.

 

“Yeah, is that a problem?  I’m always going to be Uncle Dean to him, and I don’t look at him like he’s mine.  He has 2 amazing mommies.  At some point they’ll sit him down and tell him where he came from, but that won’t be for a long time.”

 

“Why would it bother me?  I bet he’s a gorgeous baby.”  Cas figured any baby that came from Dean would have to be.

 

“He has bright red hair, like Charlie, but yeah, he kind of does look like me.  He’s really cute.”  Dean relaxed and smiled.  He was happy to have helped his best friends become parents.  They had promised to someday help him out if he ended up with a man or a woman that couldn’t carry.

 

“Do you have any pictures of him?”  Cas asked.  Dean of course was proud and whipped his phone out to show the baby off.

 

“Now, Gilda turned out to not be able to get pregnant on her own, so they used Charlie’s egg and my sperm.  So, that’s why Luke is a little carrot top.  They want one, maybe two more kids at some point.  I’m thinking they’ll all have flaming red hair.”  He pulled up the pics he had taken of the baby in the hospital and turned the phone so Cas could see.

 

“Oh, he’s a beautiful baby.  Look at those cheeks!”

 

Dean grinned.  “Yeah, Charlie was a chubby faced little baby.  I saw her baby pics.  Luke looks so much like she did when she was born.”

 

“Well, I wish them all the luck in the world.  Kids are a blessing, and I know he’ll grow up loved.”  Cas handed the phone back, smiling the entire time.

 

“So tell me more about your family, and you, you don’t have kids, do you?”  Dean asked.  They had talked on their first date, but mostly it had been about random things, like music, food, pet peeves, not so much the serious details of either of their lives.

 

“Me?  No.  But my brother and sister both do.  I’m very involved in the lives of my nieces and nephews.  I was married once though.  I come from a very devout Catholic family and my parents married at 18, and they’re still married today.  My mother had trouble carrying babies, otherwise there might be a dozen or more of us.  She was pregnant 8 times but only had 3 live births.  From a very early age she pressured all of us to find someone to settle down with, start a family, and start pumping out babies.  

 

Gabe got right on that.  Except he married a woman whose family was from India.  Kali is Hindu.  My parents, they tried to be gracious and accepting.  But they really didn’t like her.  No one realized Kali had so many health problems stemming from her birth and childhood in India, and her first 2 pregnancies, she lost both babies.  She blamed modern medicine, so when she got pregnant with my niece, Lexi, she refused to see a doctor.  My brother didn’t even realize she was pregnant for the first 7 months because Kali was already a really tiny woman and she didn’t get a big bump at all.  When he realized, he thought she was just a couple of months along and they had a huge fight because she still didn’t want to go.  She threatened to go back to India and take the baby with her so out of fear of losing his wife and child, he shut his mouth.  Lexi was born about a month and a half later, and right away the doctors knew something was wrong.  Before she was a day old she was brought into surgery.  She has Spina Bifida, and her spine was partially visible.  The doctors chewed my sister-in-law out for not seeing a doctor during her pregnancy and she blamed herself, both for her lost babies and for Lexi.  My brother just wanted his daughter to survive.  

 

Lexi has had more surgeries than I can even remember and she’s in a wheelchair, but the kid has so much spunk.  She’s bright, too.  Just got her first job.  Unfortunately Kali couldn’t handle the strain and stress of a disabled child and after another failed pregnancy, this time a stillborn son also with Spina Bifida, she packed her bags and left.  Lexi stayed with my brother though.  Kali filed for divorce and moved back to India to live with family there.  So my brother was the first to disappoint my parents.

 

“Then there was me and Meg.  She was my best friend since I met her in the 5th grade, and my parents pushed me to get into a romantic relationship with her, so I asked her if that was something she wanted, and she did, so at 16 we started actually dating.  It wasn’t any different than how our friendship had always been, except now we held hands and kissed.  I concentrated on my homework and getting into a good college, the same things she was doing, so I didn’t really stop to think that what we had, it wasn’t love.  

 

“Right out of high school we got married, and when I moved to Chicago for school, she came with me.  I had known I was gay since I was a kid.  Meg knew I was gay, but she didn’t care.  We tried the whole straight thing for the sake of our families since she was the only person I was really comfortable with at that time, and she felt the same way about me.  Sex with Meg was…dull.  For her and for me.  But we didn’t want kids, even though both of our parents were pushing for one.  We wanted to finish school first, start on our careers, _then_ think about kids.  My parents in particular were angry.  

 

“By 20 Meg and I both knew it had long been over.  She had met a guy she was falling in love with, and we were really just putting on a show for our parents by that point.  Very quietly we divorced.  She moved out, got a place with her boyfriend, but we stayed friends because there was never any animosity between us.  When I graduated with my BA, I broke the news to my family, about the divorce _and_ the fact that I am gay.  My parents essentially disowned me.”

  


Cas sighed.  That had been a dark time in his life, one that he didn’t like reliving, but Dean deserved to know the truth.  He and Meg were still friends and if it came up in conversation that they were once married, he didn’t want Dean getting upset.

 

“Anyway, then there’s Anna.  She is the only girl and my parents had dreams of her marrying a deacon in our church or some crap that would put her deeply involved in the church.  Anna was a wild child though.  She would go off on these road trips with her friends, traveling all over the country and on a trip to Florida, she met Jeremy.  It was an instant connection.  He was in school, earning his masters in religious studies and intended to become a pastor like his father.  Anna was crazy about him.  They did the long distance thing very briefly before she packed up her things and moved to his town to be closer to him.  At first she didn’t tell our parents that Jer wasn’t Catholic, so they were happy that she had found someone she loved and wanted to marry.  Then she announced she was converting to the Baptist religion, and that was the final straw.  All 3 of us had managed to shame and disappoint our parents, and we were shut out.  We’ve all been married, but the only one still married is Anna.  I’m the only one without kids.  I’m also the one with the highest degree.  I just wanted to make enough money so that when I did finally settle down and start a family, I wouldn’t have to worry.  I’m in a good place, financially, emotionally, and soon I’ll have my dream job and daytime hours.”

 

“So you’re not the only person disappointing their parents.  It’s nice to know we have that in common too.”  Dean was aiming to make a joke but there was just a hint too much of bitterness in his tone for Cas to believe he was really not serious.

 

“Sometimes parents don’t really know how to love their children.  They set expectations and when they’re not met, they let the disappointment take over.  I stopped caring what my parents thought about me or my lifestyle, and no, I do not mean dancing.  I mean the fact that I am 31, single, living alone, and still in school.  And I’m gay.  To them, I’m a failure.  To me though, I think I’m a success.  I have no debt, no health problems, I’m close with my siblings, I own my own home, and I’m poised to start on the next part of my life.  Everything is going good for me.  It’s them with the problem, not me.”

 

“Next part of your life?”  Dean was curious.  He didn’t miss the way the other man blushed and deliberately did not meet his gaze.

 

“Finding someone to date that maybe has potential.  Someone I can see having a future with.”

 

His words had a strange effect on Dean.  While he’d been surprised to hear such an honest admission, he had to admit, it made him happy.  He got along so well with Cas that he didn’t want something brief and meaningless.  Besides, he was closing in on 30 and his days of one night stands were a thing of the past now.  Sam had been telling him he should give the people he was dating more of a chance to win him over, but he’d been able to tell pretty quickly with each one that they weren’t the kind of person he wanted to see again.  With the exception of Cas.  There was something about the man that he found incredibly intriguing.  It went far beyond the simple fact that he was highly attracted to him physically.  The connection he felt, it was much deeper, almost on a spiritual level.  When he was around Cas, everything else ceased to matter.  He enjoyed the time they spent together and even though this was only their second date, he was already looking forward to a third, and a fourth.

 

“That makes sense.  I’m not looking for games or anything short term either.”

 

Cas smiled as he looked up, the joy making his already bright blue eyes seem even bluer.

 

“So, you’re be interested in seeing where things go between us?”

 

Dean linked their fingers together.

 

“I’m definitely interested in that.”


	12. Chapter 12

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“So, second date.  Did you guys do it yet?”

 

Cas shot his brother a look of reproach from over the rim of his coffee cup.

 

“No, we most certainly did _not_ do it.  In fact, his goodnight kiss was respectful, even though I knew he was dying for more.  He’s a gentleman.  I feel sort of guilty for dragging him down to the club, but I needed to be sure he wasn’t going to be the type to freak out on me.  We have a strange sort of relationship though.  Like, we’re not afraid to talk about how much we turn each other on, but we’re not ready to act on it yet.”

 

Gabe sipped at his own cup as he listened.  He kept one ear peeled for the front door.  Lexi had that job now, and he’d been giving her more freedom.  He had told her to meet him at Cas’, and she should be arriving soon.

 

“It’s good that you’re talking.  Open lines of communication are healthy in a relationship, even more so when you’re just getting to know one another, and learning how the other person ticks.  And you lucked out that he’s not the jealous type.  Kali, man…she would tear into another chick if she even so much as _looked_ in my direction.  It got really old, really fast.”

 

Cas finished his coffee and set the cup aside.  His homework was, for all intents and purposes **,** finished, and he knew the material like the back of his hand.  Just a few more weeks until the finals, and he’d be done.  It was a bittersweet feeling. His college career had been a part of his life for so long now that finally being done with homework and tests was going to be a strange feeling.  There would be more time for things once school was done.  For friends, for hobbies, for dating. He looked forward to seeing Dean more. They had plans to get together Wednesday after he had dropped everyone off at the church. Dean had invited him over for dinner, rather than him making the drive to Whiting to grab more fast food. He was excited.

 

“So I was thinking of stopping by the club tonight.  I can still get a free drink, right?”  Gabe asked.

 

“Oh, yeah, of course.  Just come in anytime after 6.  I know you don’t want to see me dancing so just tell Ray or Vic, whoever’s at the door, that you’re my guest and head up to the bar.  I think Darryl is tending bar tonight.  You know the routine,”  Cas replied.

 

“Yeah, thanks.  I just need to unwind and if I am sitting in a club drinking, I’m not harassing Lexi and making her want to disown me.”  Gabe laughed.  Cas joined in with him.  The buzzer sounded and Gabe jumped up to answer it.

 

“Lexi?”

 

“Yeah, Dad.  Let me up.”

 

He held the buzzer and a minute later was opening the door and watching for the elevator to bring his daughter up to that floor.  When she came rolling down the hall with a big smile on her face, he relaxed finally.

 

“So.  Good first day at work?”

 

“Yep.  Doris was showing me how to file things and where.  For the first half of my shift, she showed me, then I was left to do it on my own.  They said there will be some other tasks and stuff I can do once I get used to this, like if I do a good job, I could maybe work a shift on Saturdays answering phones and making appointments.”  She was excited, and he didn’t want to do anything to dim that light inside of her.  Even if he didn’t like the idea of her working a 4th day during the week.  Before he could speak up, Cas was walking in the room.

 

“How was work?”

 

“It was great!  They let me file stuff on my own, once I got the hang of it, and they’re talking about letting me work Saturdays answering phones and scheduling appointments.”

 

“Awesome!  You hungry?  I can make you a sandwich,”  Cas offered.

 

“Yeah, that would be great, I’m starving.”

 

He started for the kitchen and she followed.  Gabe followed behind them both.

 

“What are you doing home?  When Dad said meet him here I was a little surprised.  Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” she asked.

 

“Oh, yeah, I’m supposed to be except there’s a new guy that’s going to be taking over my spot, and they’re giving him some of my hours, so he gets used to the place and makes some money too. Therefore I start at 8. It works for me, though.  Not like I’ll make less money or anything.  Not really.”

 

He whipped up a sandwich and set it on a plate as she positioned herself at the table.

 

“Did you tell her about your new boyfriend?”  Gabe teased.  Her head jerked around to look at her uncle.

 

“What?  You have a _boyfriend?_ ”

 

Cas shot his brother a dirty look before turning his attention back to the food he was setting in front of his niece.

 

“I wouldn’t say we’re there yet.  There’s someone I’m seeing.  We’ve only been on 2 dates so far, so don’t rush it.”

 

“Is he cute?”

 

Cas sighed.  He suspected he was going to go through this a lot if things got serious with Dean.

 

“He’s gorgeous.  Light brown hair, a little taller than me, freckles, green eyes, looks like he could be a model, he’s so beautiful.  And he’s really nice.  Took me stargazing for our first date, and last night we went out for dinner and ended up talking into the early hours of the morning.  Wednesday he’s making me dinner at his place.  I want to do something nice for him for our next date after that.  I’m just not sure what yet.”

 

“Sounds to me like you’re thinking long term,”  Gabe commented.  Lexi nodded in agreement.

 

“I am.  We’re taking things slow though.  So far he’s only held my hand and we shared one chaste kiss.  Considering what I do for a living, it’s pretty ironic. But…he respects me, and I appreciate that. He doesn’t look at me and see a stripper.  When he looks at me, I feel like I’m really being seen.  And he wants to get to know me, outside of just where I live and what I do.  We spent hours last night talking about our favorite places that we’ve traveled to, and places we would like to someday see.  He didn’t laugh when I brought up places like the wolf sanctuary up in Idaho, or the redwood forests in Northern California.  I also didn’t insult him for wanting to visit a car museum or Niagara Falls.  He…makes me happy.”

 

Gabe shared a look with his daughter before turning his amber eyes back on his younger brother. “I’m glad.  I can’t wait to meet him if he’s half as great as you say he is.”

 

“At some point I will do introductions.  Let me enjoy my time alone with him for now though.”  Cas got to his feet, taking a moment to stretch.  “I have to go get ready for work, but don’t feel that you have to leave.”

 

He headed for his room to grab clean clothes.  Dean had a poker game with some friends tonight, but he had promised to text.  As long as he didn’t show up at the club, Sam’s secret was safe.  He’d warned the man that he wasn’t going to lie to Dean if the man discovered that he was working at the club, but he wouldn’t flat out say anything to alert Dean to the fact either.  Sam hadn’t worked Sunday, but he was working tonight.  He had told Sam to just be upfront.  It upset him that Dean would be ok with Cas dancing but not think that it was ok for Sam.  Unless it was something else altogether.  Maybe tonight he would try to get to the bottom of that by asking Sam.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Just after eight, Cas saw his brother walk in.  It was slow, even for a Monday, but at least Patrick hadn’t shown his face yet.  Gabe waved in his direction, and he gave a short nod.  After his show he wandered over to the bar where Gabe was sitting at the bar chatting with Darryl, the bartender.  He slid onto the seat next to him and pulled out his phone.  There was a text waiting from Dean and he wanted to reply.

 

“Texting lover boy?”  Gabe asked.

 

“Yep.  He said they’re playing poker, and he’s kicking everyone’s butts.  His friend Benny suggested they should play strip poker, and Dean told him he doesn’t want to see his hairy ass.”  Cas laughed as he was replying.

 

“He has a sense of humor, it sounds like. I think we’ll get along.” Gabe patted his brother’s shoulder and immediately regretted it when he felt the oil coating the man’s skin. “Gross, how do you wear that stuff all the time?”

 

“I shower constantly.  I’ll be glad to never have to wear it again, trust me.”  Cas looked up to see the drink Darryl had placed in front of him.  “Thanks, Darryl.”

 

“No problem, man.”  Darryl nodded before moving farther down the bar to serve another customer.

 

“Who’s that tall drink of water that’s up on stage now?” Gabe nodded towards the stage, and Cas turned to look. It was Ruby dancing with Gordon and Sam. Fergus was sure giving Sam a lot of stage time for someone so new. He attributed it to the fact Sam was not new to the business.

 

“That is Shane.  That’s his stage name and for now, that’s all you need to know.  Later I’ll tell you his real name.  He’s Dean’s younger brother and Dean doesn’t know he is dancing here.”  Cas dropped his voice, never certain who might be listening.

 

“No shit.  Why doesn’t he want his brother to know he dances?  If Dean has a problem with it, that kind of makes him a hypocrite.”  Gabe was still staring at the stage, his eyebrows rising as Sam began to strip down.

 

“I don’t know.  I can’t exactly ask Dean, but I intend to ask Shane.  We take lunch at the same time, and I will ask then.  Trust me, I want answers.”  Cas felt his phone vibrate and turned his attention back to it.  Another text from Dean, this time including a picture that had him laughing.  He turned the phone so his brother could see.

 

“This is Dean.  Isn’t he gorgeous?”

 

Gabe nodded.  “He’s definitely hot.  A lot better than what you’ve dated in the past.”  His eyes drifted again up to where Sam was grinding against Ruby from the front and Gordon was doing the same from the back, pinning the tiny woman in the middle.

 

“But you think Shane is better looking,”  Cas mused.

 

“Seriously, have you _looked_ at the guy?  He’s amazing.  Is he straight?”

 

Cas chuckled.  “He’s a bit young for your taste.  And no, not completely straight.  He admitted as much to me his first night here.”

 

“How young is too young?”  Gabe wondered.

 

“He could possibly date your daughter,”  Cas replied.  Gabe winced, his shoulders slumping as he stared down at his almost empty glass.

 

“Figures he’d be like 20.”

 

“He’s a little older than that.  I think he’s like 24 or so,”  Cas said.

 

“Still.”  Gabe wasn’t looking up at the stage anymore.

 

“Well, my break is over and I need to pee before I get back to work.  You sticking around?”  Cas asked as he stood up.

 

“Yeah, for a while at least.  Want me to go grab you something to eat for dinner?”

 

“That would be great, if you don’t mind.  I just have some protein bars in my locker.”  Cas was glad for the offer.

 

“Ok, so when is your lunch?”

 

“It’s at 12,”  Cas replied.

 

“Ok, I’ll see what’s open and go grab you something.”

 

“Thanks.  I’ll talk to you at lunch.”  Cas headed back to the locker room and Gabe found his gaze drifting back to the stage again.  Fuck, Shane was attractive.  No way was he going after that though.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The night was dragging, and Cas was ready for it to end.  Tips were shitty, mostly because the club was pretty empty.  The rain that had been falling steadily since about 10 that morning probably had something to do with it.  When his lunch finally came, Cas threw a robe on and, with Sam in tow, found his brother out in the parking lot.

 

“Hey, here you go.”  Gabe handed over a rather large bag of food and a drink before he realized his brother wasn’t alone.  “Oh, uh, there’s more, if you want to share.”

 

“I have food, but thanks.”  Sam held up his little Tupperware container.  “I have a salad.”

 

“Can we sit in your car to eat?  Patrick came in, and I don’t want to be in there right now,”  Cas said.  Gabe nodded and they all climbed in.  Sam stretched out a bit in the backseat.  While Cas was wearing little more than a thong and robe, Sam had thrown on sweatpants and a tee shirt.  They were slightly damp from the rain but not enough to be cold as they settled into their seats and started eating.

 

“Oh, Sam, this is my brother Gabe.  Gabe, Shane’s real name is Sam.”  Cas did a quick introduction and Sam, ever polite and friendly, set his food aside so he could reach forward and offer his hand.

 

“Nice to meet you, Gabe.  Cas speaks quite highly of you.”

 

Gabe shook his hand, smiling politely, even as he avoided making actual eye contact.

 

“Nice to meet you too.  Cas says you’re new.”

 

“Yeah, I’m getting ready to take over for him when he leaves.”  Sam went back to eating as they talked.  They only had 30 minutes to eat and relax, and he was taking full advantage of it.

 

“Sam, can I ask you a question?”

 

Cas looked over the back of his seat at his new friend.

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

“Why don’t you want Dean to know?  I’m feeling a bit torn, like this might be a double standard if he’s ok with me dancing, but not you.”

 

Sam set his fork down and sighed.

 

“It’s not that.  Dean is…”  He frowned, his brow furrowing as he searched for the right words to say.

 

“He’s more like my dad than my brother, ok?  And he worries way the hell too much about me.  Our dad, the Bible always meant more to him than us, and as a little kid that meant we were on our own most of the time.  Even when our dad was home, he wasn’t really there, if you know what I mean.  So Dean cooked and cleaned and made sure I did my homework.  All the stuff our father should have been doing.  Our mom died when I was a baby, and we were alone with our dad for a long time.  When he remarried, his wife was more concerned with getting pregnant and providing a new child because my brother was proving to be a huge disappointment as far as our dad was concerned.  Dean left to stay with some friends of the family after our dad kicked him out, and when I stood up for my brother, I was kicked out too.  I was like, thirteen.  They took me in too, but Dean took care of me.  He always has.  

 

“It’s not the dancing that he has a problem with.  It’s his inability to see me as his brother and as an adult capable of taking care of myself.  Shit, he still does my laundry and changes my sheets because he feels that he has to.  If he knew that I was dancing, it would be like he was picturing me when I was 10, in a thong, dancing for money.  Not picturing me as the adult I am now.  He’s ok with you doing it because he looks at you and sees you as the adult you are.  I’m still his ‘baby’ brother, barely out of diapers and in need of protection.  It bothers the hell out of me, and we fight about it constantly.  I went to Stanford to get some freedom, and I thought it would help him see me more as an adult, but it didn’t, not really.  I came back, he wanted me to move into his apartment, and well, I just need my space.”  Sam’s brow furrowed impossibly deeper as he met Cas’ stare.

 

“He doesn’t know, but I decided not to go to Harvard.  Instead, I’m starting at SIU in the fall.  But…I need this money so I can get a place of my own.  I have a couple of scholarships but they cover tuition and books, not housing.  I love my brother but he needs to stop worrying about me so damn much, and I need the opportunity to grow and live my own life.  I would like to date and have people over without him interrogating them and thinking he has the right to stick around so I can’t be alone with them.  I can’t even get laid without having to go over to their place.”

 

“I get it, I lived with Gabe for a while.  I’m the younger brother too.”  Cas snorted and looked over at his brother, who wore a look of embarrassed annoyance.

 

“I was looking out for you.”  Gabe’s defense was weak, but he tried anyway to defend his actions.

 

“Yeah, but you were such a cock block,”  Cas teased.  Sam burst into laughter, earning a dirty look from Gabe.  It just made the man laugh harder.

 

“You should talk to your brother.  If you need a place, I know a few people looking for a roommate.  It would give you some freedom until you have enough to get a place of your own,”  Cas said.

 

“Yeah, let me know. I love my brother, but I haven’t had a serious relationship since I was back at school, and I’m tired of being alone.”  Sam’s tone was serious.  Cas could definitely sympathize, but he wasn’t going to rub it in his own brother’s face.

 

“Awful young to be thinking so seriously, aren’t you?”  Gabe arched one eyebrow as Sam turned to look at him.

 

“My age is irrelevant. I just turned 25, and my parents were married when my mom was 21 and my dad was 25. They’d still be married, had my mother not passed away. I don’t sleep around, not that it’s any of your business,” he said coolly. Cas winced and hid it with a mouthful of  burger. Gabe’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, but he didn’t say another word.

 

“We have to get back in.  You coming back inside?”  Cas was closing the bag with the second burger and the extra fries.

 

“No, I have to get home to Lexi.  You ok to leave tonight though?  Do I have to come back?  That Patrick guy isn’t going to bother you, right?”  Gabe was worried.  He knew how uncomfortable Patrick made his brother.

 

“I’ll walk out with him, and I’m sure Gordon and Ray will too,”  Sam piped up.

 

“I’ll be fine.  Give Lexi a kiss for me.  I’ll see you guys soon.”  Cas got out and Sam followed suit.  Gabe was pulling out of the parking lot before they had reached the doors.

 

“What is up with your brother?  If he’s married, why come here?  Just for free drinks?”  Sam asked.

 

“Oh, no, no.  Lexi is his daughter.  He’s divorced.  And he’s bi.  He doesn’t come here to pick guys up.  I’ve worked here 7 years and he’s come in maybe a dozen times.  He does it to decompress.  My niece has health problems and it puts him under a lot of stress, especially now that she is demanding her independence and will be heading off to college next year.  Tonight, yeah, he stopped by for a free drink and to give Lexi some space.  She is learning how to be alone and take care of herself, much like you are, and he’s trying hard not to hover.  She just got a job and he’s constantly worried about her, so tonight, he needed to relax.”  Cas nodded at Ray as they went back inside.

 

“Oh, I get that.  I didn’t realize…”  Sam took a deep breath and exhaled.  “So he’s a lot older than you?  If he has kids, I mean.”

 

“He has one child, and he had her young.  He is 40.  9 years older than me.”  Cas replied.  “Our sister Anna is between us.  She’s 36.”

 

“That’s cool.  Dean’s 3½ years older than me, but you’d swear he was like 20 years older, the way he acts.”  Sam rolled his eyes, causing Cas to chuckle.  He spotted Patrick, who was making his way over.

 

“Shit,” he muttered.

 

“James, you performing tonight?”

 

Sam moved closer, and Cas didn’t stop him when he put himself between him and Patrick.

 

“You know I am.”

 

“You weren’t here when I stopped in earlier.”  The man was deliberately ignoring Sam and stepped to the side so he could see Cas better.

 

“Yes, well, I’ve given up some hours so others can pick them up.”  Cas didn’t want to admit that, especially with the way Patrick was frowning.

 

“So, you won’t be here as often?”

 

“That is my plan, yes.  Now if you’ll excuse us, Shane and I have to get back to work.”

 

Cas grabbed Sam by the arm and pulled him in the direction of the locker room, and away from Patrick.

 

“How long has that guy been bothering you?”  Sam asked as soon as they were in the safety of the locker room.

 

“He started coming in about 3 years ago but he didn’t start bothering me til about a year and a half ago.  I got his table one night when I was dancing and I guess I caught his interest.  He started flirting, telling me I was beautiful and how he would spoil me if I were his, but I made it very clear that I do not date customers.  So he started hinting at us just sleeping together.  I told him no, I don’t do one night stands either.  He just kept flirting.  I guess he thought he’d eventually wear me down.  He’s part of the reason why my last relationship went to shit.  

 

“I was dating one of the bartenders, Balthazar.  Lasted about 6 months before his jealousy got the best of him.  He could see all the men flirting and throwing money at me and…touching me, and it made him mad, but when Patrick would sit at the bar and make comments about all the things he wanted to do to me _when_ he finally wore me down, that was the last straw.  Balthazar wanted me to quit, to find a job where other men wouldn’t be looking at me all the time, and I refused.  I had bills to pay, a condo I’m making payments on, tuition, and nothing pays this good.  We had a falling out, and he said he couldn’t continue to date me if I wasn’t willing to put him first.  I told him the problem was that he was putting himself first, not me, and that if he couldn’t trust me to be faithful, then maybe it was a good idea if we broke up.  He didn’t speak to me for about 3 months after that.  When we did finally start talking again, he apologized, but whatever we’d had, it was over.  Now we’re just friends.  He worries about me though, mostly because Patrick is an asshole that doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”

 

Cas had ditched the robe and was dressing in the construction worker outfit that had been left out for him.  Sam was dressed in a business suit already, and it hugged his every curve in a way that a real suit would never do.  If Gabe had stayed he’d _definitely_ be in for a show!

 

“Well, whenever I’m here, I’ll walk out with you if the guy is that much of a bother.  Some people just don’t know how to take no for an answer.”

 

“I am trained in self-defense; that’s not the problem. He just seems to sneak up on me.  A few times he has caught me unawares in the parking lot and I’ve been lucky enough that one of the bouncers saw him bothering me and made him leave.  I’m not a violent person so unless he were to physically hurt me, I won’t use what I know against him.”  

 

Cas secured his tool belt around his waist and grabbed the yellow hard hat.  He didn’t mind doing the construction bit.  It usually garnered him more tips.  Personally he didn’t feel like he was built like a real construction worker, but the men watching sure seemed to think he was.

 

“Well, it’s all going to stop soon, right?  You’ll never have to see him again.”  Sam was starting for the door.  “Catch you later?”

 

Cas smiled and winked.  “You know it.”


	13. Chapter 13

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

**JUNE~**

 

“So when is graduation?”

 

Cas shifted his body just enough that he could look up and see Dean’s face.

 

“Three weeks from now.  Last Saturday of the month.  You’re still coming, right?  I want you to meet my family.”

 

Dean brought his arms around Cas and pulled him back against him just a little tighter.

 

“You’re sure you want me to?  I mean, I want to, but do you think they’ll like me?”

 

“Honey, they’ll love you.  My family is not a bunch of snobs.  Maybe my parents are, but you’re not going to meet them, so you have nothing to fear.  Gabe is a jokester and Anna, while she might look like the quiet, little preacher’s wife, she’s actually a goofball and once she warms up, she’s almost as bad as Gabe.  And Jeremy is a good guy.  You’ll like him.  The kids are great too.  I’m ready for you to meet them all.”  

 

After dating the last month and a half, Cas was sure that he wanted his family to meet Dean.  He was eager to show his boyfriend off.  They had grown close in the time they’d been seeing one another, and he’d made more of an effort to be available whenever Dean wanted to see him than he had for any previous boyfriend.  Sex had not yet come into play though, and while he wanted it, he knew where Dean stood on the subject.  He’d only been in like one or two previous sexual relationships with a man and he was somewhat scared.  This was the longest amount of time he’d ever dated someone without sleeping with them, but Dean was so amazing and wonderful that the wait was definitely worth it.

 

“And you?”  Dean suddenly asked.  Cas’ brow knit as he looked up to find green eyes watching him.

 

“I don’t understand the question.  And me what?”

 

“Do you…love…me?”

 

He could feel the way Dean’s heart had suddenly begun to race and he sat up so that he could turn around and face him.

 

“How could I not?  I know we haven’t said it, but yes, Dean, I do love you.  You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever known, and I love you very much.”

 

Dean’s expression turned serious and the intensity of his stare was mildly unnerving.

 

“I love you too, Cas.  I-I don’t say that to just anyone, and you’re really the first person I’ve ever been with where I actually realize that this is not _just_ love, the way I feel about you.  I’m actually _in love_ with you.  I mean, I’ve cared about people in the past, but nothing like this.  I swear, you’re like way the hell out of my league, and yet you still want to be with me.  I try not to second guess myself, cause I know you hate when I do that, so I just think about how happy you make me.  The guys down at the garage keep teasing me that they know when I’m thinking about you because I’ll just randomly start smiling.  But you do, make me really happy, that is.  I love every moment we spend together, and it never feels like it’s enough.  I’m glad you’re graduating and switching jobs, and I feel like I’m being selfish because if you’re working days like me, I’ll get to see you more, but that’s the truth.  And I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”

 

They were lying on the couch at Cas’, watching shitty movies on Netflix and Cas was sitting between Dean’s legs like he had been for the last 2 hours, but now he was sitting up, looking Dean in the eye.  He could sense how nervous his boyfriend had suddenly become.

 

“What have you been thinking about?”

 

Dean reached out, running the tips of his fingers lightly down Cas’ arm.

 

“I love you.”

 

Cas smiled.  “You just said that, sweetheart.”

 

“Yeah, I know.  I’m not done yet.”  Dean smirked.  Cas laughed softly and motioned for him to continue.

 

“What I’m trying to say here is, I love you, and…I want you.  Like, so bad it physically hurts at times.  You turn me on more than anyone I’ve ever been with, and I want us to…God, this shouldn’t be so cheesy…”  He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a groan of frustration.  

 

“I want us to take things to the next level, I guess is the right way to put it.  But I sort of need to talk to you about that.”

 

Cas settled back against Dean and laid his head on the man’s chest.  Whatever Dean wanted to talk about, it was heavy and it felt like it would make things easier if he wasn’t staring at him as he talked.

 

“Ok.”

 

“So, like, when I was 22 I was fresh out of college and my uncle hired me on at the shop.  Later he sold it to me, but that’s not important at the moment.  I had just gotten out of a pretty crappy relationship, and I was feeling particularly sorry for myself because I felt like it had gone to hell because of my unwillingness to commit.  I had this stupid notion that to be serious about just one person at only 22 was stupid, and I wanted to sow my wild oats, or whatever.  Thing is, I wasn’t sowing anything.  I was working my ass off because my uncle was ready to retire and hand the shop over to me, and I was trying to prove that I could do it, and that I could handle the responsibility.  So this guy comes in one afternoon.  His car was a mess and he needed a lot of work done, and I thought he was hot, so I decided to handle the majority of it.  We got to talking and he flirted so I took a chance and asked him out.  It didn’t take long before I was absolutely crazy about him.  I seriously thought we had a future together, but apparently I was wrong.  Turned out he was married and living the life of a straight man.  Of course, I had no idea about any of this because he didn’t live in town.

 

“About 2 weeks into dating, I let him take me to bed.  It was good, and I was happy with him.  Right about the six month mark he shows up to my place and he’s drunk, right?  Like shitfaced, should _not_ have been driving, could barely walk and here he is letting himself into my apartment.  Apparently there was a lot I didn’t know about him, like the fact that he had gotten this amazing job out in Portland and had already packed up the wife and their newborn baby to head out there. In his drunken state though, he got mouthy, told me all about the wife, the new baby, the new job, and I was mad.  Like, really mad.  I loved him and he was sitting on the edge of my bed literally breaking my heart.  Then he thought he’d get sex out of me.  I said no, he had to leave.  We got into a fight and…”

 

Cas sat up and turned around again.

 

“He didn’t.”

 

Dean couldn’t meet his eye.

 

“He wasn’t like, a really big guy, but he worked out and he was strong.  And he was drunk.  God, it hurt so bad.”

 

He scrubbed a hand down his face and let out a heavy sigh.  “I’m ok.  I went to two years of therapy.  It’s not like I’m afraid you’ll do that to me, cause I know you won’t.  But I sort of wanted to be really sure about you.  It took me a long time with my last girlfriend before I trusted her enough to do anything more than kiss, but I didn’t feel anything like what I do with you.  Cas, you make me feel safe.  You listen when I talk, and you don’t push me beyond my limits.  You’re the, um, second person I’ve ever told.  Only Charlie knows.”

 

Cas wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck and leaned into him.  Slowly his hug was returned.

 

“Were you worried I’d think poorly of you?  Because I would never.”

 

Dean kissed the top of his head before laying his cheek against it.

 

“No, I trust you.  I knew you weren’t that type of person.”

 

“I got lucky breaking down where I did, and when I did.  I’m so glad I met you.”  Cas hated that such an awful thing had happened in the past to Dean, but it didn’t change how he felt about him.

 

“If you’re not ready, I won’t push you.  I’m happy just being with you.”

 

Dean held him a little tighter.

 

“No, see, I _trust_ you, Cas.  And I want to have sex with you.  God knows you turn me on.  Just thinking about you gets me hard.  Being around you is usually a fight for me to not just tear your clothes off just so I can touch you, map out your body and see all of the different sounds I can get you to make for me.  I called my old therapist up a few weeks back and told him about you, and about us, and he said it would be best if I talked to you, about what I want and…what I need.”

 

“And I agree.  We should talk about it.  So talk to me.  What is it that you need?”  Cas tilted his head back so he could look up at him again.

 

“I need to feel safe.  I think I’ve actually felt that way with you right from the start.  I was a little apprehensive at first when you said you were in the entertainment industry, and I tried to play it off and joke about it by asking if you were into porn because while it sounded kind of hot, the idea of it actually scared the ever loving _shit_ out of me.  But the dancing, I was ok with that, especially when you assured me you didn’t play the field or want one night stands.  Basically you allayed all of my fears pretty quickly.  And you didn’t push; you let me lead.  I didn’t even realize I needed that until I met you.  I also need to know that you want me, and that you don’t see me as damaged goods because of what someone else did.  It scares me to think that you won’t want me.”

 

It came out barely louder than a whisper, and Cas wanted badly to chase that fear away.  He leaned up and cupping Dean’s cheek gently before leaning in to kiss him.

 

“Darling, I could never.  You are not damaged goods.  You’re amazing and beautiful, and I love you.  I _do_ want you, and I want to be with you.”

 

Dean relaxed, his tight grip easing as he slowly began to run a hand up and down Cas’ arm.

 

“Ok, yeah.  That makes me very happy to hear.”

 

“Good.  Now, what is it that you want?”  Cas asked.

 

Dean swallowed loud enough that Cas could hear him, even over the voices droning on the television.

 

“Well, I-I prefer to top.  I don’t feel comfortable…yet…with bottoming.  So what I want…is to be inside you.”

 

Cas splayed his hand over Dean’s heart as he rubbed his nose softly against his boyfriend’s jaw.

 

“You can definitely have that.  I am dying to have you inside me, filling me up, wrapping me in your arms as you fuck me until I explode.  I ache with the need to feel you.”  He slowly slid his hand down until the tips of his fingers had skimmed over the edge of Dean’s belt.  “Can I?”

 

Dean nodded eagerly.  “Y-yeah, I want that.”

 

Cas’ fingers were swift after years of practice undoing his own belt for performances and only seconds later he had Dean’s open and was undoing the button of his jeans.  His hand brushed against the hard bulge that told him how turned on his boyfriend was in that moment.  He looked up through his lashes, watching Dean’s face carefully as he slowly slid the zipper down before slipping his hand inside the waistband of his underwear.  As he wrapped his fingers around Dean’s length a look of pure ecstasy appeared, and his green eyes fluttered.  He moaned as Cas squeezed gently to gather up a bit of pre-come, and then used that to ease his strokes.

 

“F-fuck…that feels good…”

 

“How long has it been, sweetheart?”  Cas asked softly.

 

“A little over a y-year.  I-I’m clean.  Been tested every 6 m-months…” He moaned as Cas slid his hand lower and took his balls in a gentle rolling grasp.

 

“Mmm, good.  I am clean too.  Papers are in my room, if you want to see.  I was always careful.  Never had sex without condoms, but once I get to see your paperwork, we can talk more about trying that.”  He slid his hand back up, taking Dean’s cock in hand again and drawing out a long, shuddering moan that if his own dick wasn’t already hard, that would have been enough to bring it to life.

 

“You’re so beautiful like this, Dean.  So sexy,” he purred.  Dean’s breath hitched for a moment before he reached down to still the hand stroking him.

 

“Up.  Now,” he commanded.  Cas was on his feet in seconds.  Dean was slower to get up but the look in his eyes was almost predatory.  It gave Cas goosebumps as Dean took a step towards him and instinctively he backed up.  His boyfriend had gone from gentle and passive to dominating so quickly it had had his head spinning.

 

“Bedroom.   _Now_.”  Dean snapped the words and Cas turned and hurried to comply.  He had never really been much for being ordered around, but this was different.  Dean’s commands were not spoken with the intent to humiliate him, but with the intention of heightening his arousal, which it was definitely doing.  Vaguely he heard the sound of the TV being turned off as he ducked into his room flipping the light switch and flooding the room with light.  Only a few seconds later he heard footsteps coming down the hall.  When Dean appeared in the doorway Cas froze.  What was expected of him next?  He had no idea, and that excited him.

 

“Don’t move.”

 

Cas held his breath as Dean slowly approached, his movements calculated, his eyes never leaving Cas’.

 

“You’re so beautiful.  I’ve dreamed about this, you know.  I wondered what you’d be down for, and God…”  He had moved behind Cas, his body pressing in close as he slid a hand across the man’s stomach, fingers slipping under the edge of the tee shirt he was wearing.

 

“I’ve never let someone boss me around in the bedroom before.”  

 

Cas swallowed hard but stayed where he was, even as Dean’s other hand came around to join the first, sliding under his shirt and pushing it up until he had to lift his arms so it could be removed.  As soon as it was off, Dean’s hands were back on his body, fingernails dragging over his nipples, making him hiss.

 

“Mmm, and does it bother you that I want control?”  The words were spoken softly as kisses were pressed against his jaw and throat.

 

“No, because I trust that you aren’t doing it to try and humiliate me.”

 

“I would never do that, baby.”

 

He became aware of Dean’s hands as they moved down, skating along his abs until they reached his pants.

 

“I’m going to take off your pants now.  Don’t move.”

 

Cas swallowed hard and remained as still as possible.  Dean’s fingers were nimble, undoing his belt and then his fly almost as fast as he had done earlier.  He felt foolish for even considering that Dean might be submissive in the bedroom.  The man might be gentle and easygoing in his day to day life, but now…now he was firm, taking what he wanted, and what he wanted was everything Cas had to give.  His pants were pushed down, and he lifted his legs one at a time as he stepped out of them.

 

“I love looking at your body, Cas.  Since that night I saw you up on that stage all I could think about was this.  About what you would look like riding my cock.  You know, I still think about that plug you bought the day we met.  Did you ever get around to using it?”

 

“Y-yeah, it’s amazing, but you’ll feel even better.”

 

Cas’ breath hitched as Dean’s hand cupped his erection where it strained against the fabric of his underwear.  At work he constantly wore thongs, but he hated the things.  Usually he wore boxers but on occasion he liked the feel of a lacy pair of panties.  Today was one of those days.  Dean realized something didn’t feel quite right and he leaned over to have a look.

 

“Fucking hell, are those _lace panties_?”

 

Cas shivered at the hot breath against his ear as Dean’s other hand reached behind him to squeeze his ass.

 

“Y-yes!”  He whimpered at the feel of teeth nibbling at his neck.

 

“Fucking gorgeous.”

 

Slowly Dean turned him around so they were facing.  To Cas’ surprise his dick was still poking out of the top of his pants, pre-come dribbling out.  One day soon he wanted to feel that deep inside his body with nothing between them.  Dean’s own eyes were locked on the skimpy purple fabric with layers of lace and a tiny, white satin bow that was currently covering Cas’ cock.  They were already damp and the sight of it seemed to spur Dean into motion.  Hooking his hands under Cas’ thighs, he lifted him and dropped him onto the bed a moment later.  He bounced once before Dean was kicking off his own pants and dropping to his knees on the floor in front of him.  Cas sat up on his elbows, curious as to what his boyfriend was planning to do.

 

“Do you ever wear thongs outside of work?”  Green eyes flickered up to meet the blue ones watching him.

 

“No, I don’t like them.”

 

Dean’s hands were sliding up Cas’ thighs, feeling the muscles twitch at his touch.

 

“But you like panties.”

 

“Yes.  Is that a problem?”  Cas was worried Dean might think he was strange.  Sure he had called him gorgeous, but…

 

“No, I love them.  I have a few pairs of my own.  This?  It’s fucking hot, babe.  I swear you’re like absolutely perfect.”  

 

Dean pressed a kiss to the inside of one thigh and then the other.  Cas dropped back onto the mattress, sighing at how wonderful it felt to be touched by someone he loved for once instead of the pushy customers at work who thought they had rights to his body, even though it was clearly against policy.  He wanted Dean to touch him, everywhere, and that was what the man was doing.  He’d paused long enough to strip his own shirt off before his mouth was back, nipping and sucking at tender skin before laving it over with his tongue.  It had Cas teetering dangerously close.

 

“You’re so smooth.  You gonna keep this up when you’re done dancing?”

 

Dean’s hands were running over the hairless skin of his thighs and up over the bulge of his panties before skating over his hairless abdomen and chest.

 

“No, I don’t have a ton of hair, but waxing is painful.  I’d like to stop.”

 

“Mmm.  Do you wax…everywhere?”

 

Dean’s fingers had slid inside his panties where one thumb was rubbing just under his balls.  He could barely register the question with the pure bliss that one little touch was giving him.  A loud moan escaped his lips as Dean began slowly tugging the purple fabric down.

 

“Supplies?”

 

“D-drawer.”  Cas pointed at the bedside table and Dean moved away long enough to grab what he needed.  Setting them aside for the moment, he pushed Cas’ legs up and out, giving him a clear view of his perfect, pink hole.

 

“Goddamn!”  He hissed as he realized Cas really was waxed _everywhere_.

 

“Please, Dean, baby, touch me, I need it.”  

 

Cas knew Dean was craving absolute control, and he was not above begging to get what he wanted.  When a hot, wet tongue pressed against his opening a second later, he gasped.  Waves of pleasure coursed through him as he found himself suddenly speared open.

 

“Dean!  Oh God!”

 

Hearing his name shouted seemed to spur the man on and without having ever heard the bottle of lube opening, Cas soon felt slick fingers sliding in alongside the tongue buried deep inside of his body.  His breath hitched and his entire body shuddered as his prostate was stroked.  He felt the impending arrival of his orgasm and grabbed the base of his dick to prevent it from hitting him yet.  He wasn’t ready.  Dean withdrew his tongue but only to make room for another finger.  There was a wicked smirk on his lips as he watched Cas tremble and hold tight to his cock.  Stretching didn’t take all that long and soon he was back to nipping at the tender skin of Cas’ thighs before peppering it with tender kisses.

 

“D-don’t mark me up.  Fergus will get mad.”  Cas eased his grip on his cock when he was sure he wouldn’t come and reached down to run his fingers gently through Dean’s hair.  The man seemed pouty, but maybe a little embarrassed too.

 

“Sorry, I…did.  They might be gone by tomorrow?”  Dean ran his fingers over the spots he had left.

 

“It’s ok.  I’ll use cover up or something.”  Cas really didn’t care.  He was close to retiring anyway.  What was Fergus going to do, fire him?  He doubted it.

 

“Once you’re done dancing though, I can?”  Dean asked.

 

“Of course, sweetheart.  You can mark me up all you want, let the world know I’m yours.”  Cas liked the way Dean’s eyes seemed to darken.

 

“ _Mine_.”  

 

There was a possessiveness to the word.  Dean wasn’t jealous by nature, but he liked the idea that other men would be able to look at Cas and know he was taken.  If they persisted in flirting, though, he trusted Cas to put them in their place.  He stood up and removed his own underwear.  The way his lover’s jaw dropped at the sight of his cock brought a grin to his lips.  He had an impressive package; he wasn’t going to deny it, but he also knew how to use it.

 

“Sit up.”

 

Cas did as he was ordered, settling on his knees as he watched Dean crawl across the bed and lay back against the pillows.

 

“Come here, gorgeous.”

 

Cas went to him, letting Dean pull him on top of his prone form so that their cocks slid alongside one another.

 

“All that dancing you do.  Your thighs are so strong.”  Dean ran his hands down Cas’ thighs, feeling the taut muscles as they quivered.  He was fully aware of the effect he was having on Cas, and he loved it.

 

“Yeah, I work out so I can do those moves.”  Cas’ own hands were pressed flat against Dean’s chest as he held himself up.

 

“Good.  I’m going to put the condom on, and then I want you to ride me.  Hard.  You good with that?”

 

Green eyes flickered up to meet the blue ones watching him.  Cas nodded eagerly.

 

“Hell yes!”

 

Dean reached for where he had left the condom and lube.  Cas climbed off long enough to watch him slide the piece of rubber on and then slick his cock up with a generous amount of the lube.  When Dean reached for him, he went willingly, swinging one leg over until he was once again straddling Dean’s hips.  A hand slipped under him long enough so that Dean’s cock could be guided to his entrance and then he was lowering himself down, inch by agonizing inch.  It was a torturous sort of bliss, the feeling of being stretched so wide he felt that he might split in two, and yet it felt so incredibly _good_.  Dean’s grip on his hips was definitely going to leave behind bruises, but he honestly didn’t care.  This was heaven and worth getting yelled at by Fergus for “damaging the goods.”   _Dean_ was worth it.

 

When he had finally bottomed out he realized this was the most full he had ever felt before in his life.  Dean was _huge_ , but it felt amazing.  He looked down, waiting for Dean to give him the ok to start moving.

 

“Fuck, you feel even better than I had hoped you would.  So hot…so _tight…”_ Dean groaned.  His grip eased up on Cas’ hips and one hand stroked the tender flesh gently.  

 

“Ok, you can move.”  

 

His words were tight.  Already they were both so close.  Cas positioned his knees more comfortably as he lifted slowly up.  They both moaned at the tight glide as he raised almost all the way up.  Holy hell, Dean was still inside him, even after pulling almost all the way up!

 

As Cas slid back down, he rolled his hips, groaning at how good it felt.  The rhythm he established was slow at first, allowing them both to feel every drag of hard cock against hot, tight walls.  He knew how to roll his hips so his prostate was getting hit on every stroke and soon he was bouncing hard, his hips jerking forward with every thrust Dean gave.  They raced towards the finish line, Cas practically screaming as Dean grabbed him and flipped them both so that Cas was on his back and he was able to pound into him.  One hand came up to stroke Cas’ cock while the other held tight to the back of one thigh as his thrusts grew even faster.  It only took a few firm strokes and a well-placed press just under the head of his cock before Cas was screaming Dean’s name as he came.  Dean followed only moments later, his cock throbbing where it rested deep inside the man he had fallen so head over heels in love with in such a short time.

 

“Damn!”  Cas was gasping for air, trying desperately to catch his breath.  His eyes wanted to close, his body wanting to drop off into sleep but he forced himself to stay awake.  Dean winced as he pulled out and despite his own aches, Cas sat up and removed the condom for him.

 

“I think we could both benefit from a shower,” he said as he slid to the edge of the bed. Dean moved sluggishly, but he followed suit, climbing off the bed as he tried not to drip semen everywhere. Cas led the way into the bathroom where he got the water started.  Strong, warm arms wrapped around him from behind and he sighed with contentment at the soft kisses Dean pressed to his shoulder.

 

“You were even more amazing than I had hoped. Thank you,” he whispered.

 

“I should be thanking you.  I’m going to feel every inch of tonight’s activities when I go into work tomorrow.”  Cas turned a bit so he could look back at him, and Dean chuckled.

 

“Should I be sorry about that?”

 

“Definitely not.  This was amazing, and I look forward to doing this again.  And again.  And…”  Cas turned around in his arms and pulled him into a kiss.  It wasn’t full of the heat from earlier, but held the promise that he was in this for the long haul if Dean was.  Dean’s arms circled around his waist and pulled him closer.

 

“I am too.  I love you so much, Cas.  It’s actually kind of scary, but it’s exciting too.  I’m looking forward to where I think things are heading, which is something I couldn’t really picture with anyone before you.”

 

Cas pressed one last kiss to his lips before taking his hand and pulling him into the shower with him.

 

“I am too, darling.  I’ve never been this happy before in my life.”  He picked up a washcloth and a bar of soap, setting to work washing his boyfriend down, taking special care to be gentle with washing between his legs.

 

“Will you stay with me tonight?”  He looked up to find those green eyes watching him again.  Dean smiled.

 

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

 

 

 

[](http://imgur.com/OWJuxnA)


	14. Chapter 14

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

**Three Weeks Later~**

 

“So Dean didn’t come home again last night.  Did he stay the night with you?”

 

Cas couldn’t hide his smile as he dabbed at one of the love bites that littered his inner thighs with some of the foundation Fergus kept on hand for times such as this.  His boss wasn’t happy with all of the bruises, scratches, and hickeys that littered his body as of recently, but he also hadn’t been all that upset.  Cas was pretty sure the man was just glad he’d found someone that made him happy.  He’d tossed the bottle to him and told him that tonight, he was going to wear the police officer uniform to dance, and the foundation was just to cover up while he did his act up on stage.  Hopefully customers wouldn’t look too closely at his discolored skin.

 

“Yes, he spent the night and went straight to work from my place,” he replied.

 

“The apartment is so quiet when he’s over at your place, it’s eerie.  But I like it.”  

 

Sam was busy dressing up as a police officer too.  He looked a little weird with his hair down and the cap on so Cole had suggested he pull it up in a loose bun that would break away once he pulled the hat off later.  As Cas lowered his leg he winced.  His entire body ached, but in the most wonderful way.  The problem was that his thong kept brushing against his swollen hole and that was uncomfortable.

 

“Feeling a bit sore there?”  Cole teased from the other side.  Cas shot him a look of reproach before grabbing the tube of numbing lube he had purchased after the first time he and Dean had sex.  The stuff was a lifesaver in this line of work.  He applied a generous amount, but not so much that it would drip later and make a mess.

 

“That is more than I needed to know about my brother.”  Sam muttered as he added the belt to his costume.  Cas chuckled but opted to not tease the man.  He’d finally come clean to his brother that he wasn’t actually working at Charlie’s store but was dancing.  The drama that had brought was stressful enough.  Dean now refused to step foot in the club on any night Sam was working, which meant he could only stop in on Sundays.  Sam was actually glad for that.

 

“You better remember to reapply that before each dance,”  Cole said.

 

“Yeah, I know.  It’s not my first rodeo.  It’s not even the first time I’ve had to do this after we’ve had sex.  He’s just so _big_ …”

 

“And I’m out of here.”  Sam shot out the door so fast it left both men laughing loudly.  Gordon walked in, cocking one eyebrow as he walked to his locker.

 

“What’s so funny?”

 

“Cas here’s in a bit of pain, if you get my drift,”  Cole laughed.  Gordon chuckled.

 

“You didn’t give in to that Patrick guy, did you?”

 

“Oh hell no!  I’m seeing someone that was _not_ a customer.  You know my policy on dating the guys that come in here.  I’d sooner cut my dick off than sleep with anyone that comes in to watch us dance.”  

 

Cas wiped his fingers off and went back to covering up the marks Dean had left on his body.  It seemed almost impossible for the man to _not_ leave some kind of mark on his body.  Problem was, he liked it and didn’t discourage him as much as he should.

 

“Yeah, and it’s a smart policy too.  I did that once, about 4 years ago.  Never again.  I’m seeing a great gal right now though.  Met her while I was shopping for dinner last year.  Makes it a little easier to refuse the guys here without pissing them off, know what I mean?  They have this image in their heads that we’re all like, single and desperate.  It’s annoying.”  Gordon was busy stripping out of his warrior costume, his own performance having just ended.

 

“Yeah, I know.  I tend to block it out when I get told a hundred times a night that I’d look ‘so pretty with their cock inside me’.  I don’t think my wife would appreciate that,” Cole snorted. It got Cas and Gordon both laughing.

 

“Well, my boyfriend knows I don’t ever fool with customers, and I would never cheat on him.  He’s the best thing to ever happen to me.  No way would I ever risk losing him.”  Cas was about to put the foundation in his locker when Cole snatched it out of his hands.

 

“Your boyfriend was a little overzealous with the love bites this time,” he said as he dabbed some of the cover up onto a hickey on Cas’ upper back.  

“Dude, you’re going to be so splotchy.”

 

“I know.  I keep telling him not to mark me up but by the time we really get things going, neither of us are even thinking about that.  When we’re edging close to orgasm, the last thing on my mind is this place.  I’ll be glad when I don’t have to tell him not to do it anymore,”  Cas sighed.

 

“He scratched your back up too.”  Gordon pointed to some marks, and Cole added more foundation to them.  “And I can see the imprints of his fingers on your hips.  Damn, he’s a feisty one, isn’t he?”

 

Cas laughed but nodded.  “Best damn sex I’ve ever had.  Seriously.”

 

“Good for you.”  Gordon was already changed into a firefighter costume and heading for the door.  “Catch you guys out there.”

 

“Is it all covered now?”  Cas asked as he accepted the bottle back and covered up the bruises on his hips.  Hopefully the low light would make it so nothing was visible.

 

“Yeah, best it’s gonna get.  You’re not dancing around the tables like this, are you?”  Cole went back to finish getting dressed while Cas tucked the cover up and the lube back into his locker.

 

“No, Fergus has me doing that in the police uniform, but I’ll do a full strip up on the stage.  I think he’s hoping the lowered lights will not show the discoloration too badly.  It’s not that far off from my natural skin color, I don’t think.  Is it?”  Cas looked down at his thighs.  It didn’t look _that_ off.

 

“Not all that bad, I don’t think.  He made me cover up my arm after Sophie bruised the hell out if it holding on when Tommy was being born.  Remember those bruises I had?  Hurt like hell.  I had to reapply later when I started sweating.  Keep that in mind.”

 

“Well, it really just has to last through my solo act.  We’ll be covered in fake burn marks for our group act.  I can strategically cover up my hickeys with that stuff.”  

 

Gordon was supposed to do an act where he pretended to rescue them.  April was dancing with them tonight for that one.  It was Gordon’s big showcase and Cas was glad not to have the focus really be on him.

Cole and Cas walked out of the locker room and into the club together.  A quick scan told him Patrick was present.  The moment their eyes met, he saw the man leering at him.

 

“I see your biggest fan is present,”  Cole muttered, shooting daggers at the Irishman.

 

“I look forward to the day when I never see the man again.  I graduate tomorrow.  This is officially my last night.  I decided not to wait until August.  Dean’s looking forward to a few weeks with me before I have to start my new job, and I want to spend the time adjusting to waking up at a normal hour.  Plus I want to enjoy time with my family for a bit.  But, as of tomorrow I am officially Dr. Novak and my days of stripping for anyone except the man I love will be a distant memory,”  Cas said.

 

 

Cole patted him on the shoulder.

 

“Well, let’s get this night over with then, shall we?”

 

“Hell yes!”

 

 

[](http://imgur.com/o7fOLuc) ♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋ 

 

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**_Patrick’s POV~_ **

 

_Patrick had taken a seat right at the front, the center table closest to the stage.  Individuals were encouraged to sit at the bar tables near the back so that groups could have the tables, but he didn’t care.  To make sure he wasn’t asked to move, he had allowed two other guys to sit at the table, though he had no interest in socializing with them.  The club was crowded tonight, some sort of event going on as well as a bachelor party, and the place was probably close to full capacity, if not already there.  Every table was filled and more people stood at the back of the room.  This was the act he had waited all night for, and his eyes were riveted to the stage._

 

_With as crowded as the place was, he’d only been able to catch fleeting glimpses of James as he danced around the room, moving smoothly from table to table, and he was surprised to see that tonight, the beautiful dancer was dressed in full costume instead of the usual thong. Lately he’d been covering up a lot more. It was a curious thing to see the man covered up when he wasn’t on stage doing an act, and with flash of anger he found himself wondering if that was due to the supposed “boyfriend” the man had._

 

_He liked to think he was a patient man.  Boyfriends came and went.  He’d known James to have a few since he’d first seen the man, including that English bartender.  The moment he’d learned that old bastard was dating James, he’d made it his mission to piss the man off.  It hadn’t really taken a whole lot either.  Rumors began to pass around that he and James had fought and their relationship had come to a rather nasty end.  After that, there had been mention of a man here or a man there that the beautiful dancer had become involved with, but none seemed to stick around.  James was perfect, his skin so flawless, perfectly proportioned, and he moved in ways that spoke of how amazing he would be in the bedroom.  Just thinking about that made his dick throb.  How beautiful James would truly be riding his cock, screaming his name as he came.  He always got hard watching James dance.  None of the other dances did that to him, though._

 

_James’ policy about not dating customers was frustrating.  Other dancers did it, he knew that for a fact, but James wouldn’t even consider it.  He had considered not coming in anymore but the idea of not getting to see the man dance brought him physical pain, so every night he knew the man was supposed to be working, he came in.  Recently hours had been switched around and he was trying to memorize the new schedule.  James was coming in later, only doing one, maybe one or two performances instead of his usual three, and then leaving.  His temper flared as he thought about the man James had invited in that night to watch him.  It had been over a month now and apparently the boyfriend was still in the picture.  He just knew it was that good-looking fellow James had sat down to talk to a few weeks back.  The way they had looked at one another and subtly touched had sparked a rage inside him that had been difficult to control.  It became imperative that he learn how serious this man was about James, and try to discourage him from sticking around for long.  Of course that dancer Cody had to stick his nose in, and then Victor too.  Instead of letting his anger get the best of him and end up getting himself banned, he chose to leave._

 

_For a while after that he continued to keep his distance and just…listen.  He was very good at hearing the gossip that floated about without anyone realizing he was paying that close attention.  To his dismay he had learned that James and his boyfriend were getting more serious.  He knew the man was earning a degree, a doctorate, if he remembered correctly, but what he intended to do with that degree was still a mystery.  The new guy, Shane, seemed to have gotten very close with James very quickly so he paid extra close attention to their conversations as well as the conversations Shane had with other people where James’ name happened to come up.  It was frustrating that the man didn’t mention James very often.  He wanted to know where the man lived, so that he could attempt to run into him somewhere outside of the club.  It was a pathetic hope that maybe, if they spoke outside of the club, James would realize he was really a nice guy and that he was seriously interested in him.  He heard the rumors, James found him pushy and rude, and worst of all – creepy.  That had never been his intention.  Perhaps in the beginning he had come on a bit too strong but James was truly the most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on, and he was nothing if not persistent._

 

_Dancers moved among the tables, and he watched James closely.  When the song switched James headed for the changing room, already pulling the police cap off his head and unzipping the suit.  Sadly, that put his back to Patrick and he couldn’t see that beautiful, chiseled chest.  He was alright with that though.  James’ solo act was up next, and it was the whole reason he came in this place time and again.  No one danced like James did, as though the music were a very extension of his soul.  One of the women dancers, April, climbed the stairs to the stage and set a hard, wooden chair in the center.  Someone else was just off stage adjusting something on the stereo system.  He could just barely make out what they were doing, but he’d been here often enough that he already knew.  A quick check of his watch told him it was ten to midnight.  He was excited to see what James would be performing in tonight.  It was never disappointing.  The man could dance in a sack cloth and make it look sexy._

 

_There were the usual few minutes where someone came to wipe up the stage floor so the next dancer didn’t get hurt, and then the lights flickered and the room fell silent as the music started.  He’d heard the deep vibrations of this song play during other performances, but knowing James was going to be the one dancing to it made it all the more exciting.  The stage was dark, but he saw movement as a body moved across it and went to stand behind the chair.  As the words started, the lights came on.  Patrick found himself leaning forward as James stepped out from behind the chair, one leg thrusting forward and rolling his hips as he ducked his head and touched the rim of the newsboy hat that was perched atop his head.  The man looked absolutely divine in a white shirt that stretched tight across his chest and stomach, and black pants that hugged him in all the right places.  Suspenders finished the look, and Patrick found himself wondering what kind of clothes the man really wore in his day to day life.  If he had his way, the man would be dressed like this, all the time.  Of all the things he had ever seen the man performing in, this had to be his favorite._

 

_As James swirled his hips and dropped back, his hands landing on the stage floor as his hips hovered above the floor, Patrick licked his lips.  The man was so lithe and flexible it fed the fuel of his fantasies completely.  A flip had him subtly grinding against the floor as he looked out over the audience with a flirty smile.  It bothered him that James deliberately avoided looking at him anymore.  Whenever those blue eyes turned in his direction, it made his heart beat faster and his cock harden.  How could it not?  The man was gorgeous!  Something seemed to catch the dancer’s attention because he noticed how James would look at a certain spot in the room over and over.  Patrick turned in his seat and scanned the crowd.  The man he’d met that night was sitting at one of the bar tables at the back of the room, watching James with a hungry look in his eyes.  It infuriated him knowing that bastard was here again._

 

_On and off he’d been seeing him, but since that first time he’d never been able to get close enough to say anything more to him.  Why didn’t he just go away like all the others?  With a clenching of his jaw and a rising temper, he turned around again.  James had slipped the suspenders off his shoulders and was slowly unbuttoning his shirt.  Every time his gaze drifted towards the man with the green eyes, Patrick wanted to scream.  James was his love interest, not that fucker with the freckles and bowed legs.  There was no way a man dressed in flannel and faded jeans was good enough for a man earning his doctorate.  Why didn’t James see that?  He deserved a man on the same level as him.  Like Patrick was.  He held 2 doctorates, in history and English.  And he knew he was damn well attractive.  He could have any man he wanted, but the only one he wanted spurned his affections in favor of that loser at the back of the room._

 

_His mood continued to sour as Ginuwine’s “Pony” faded and a second song started,  Ciara’s “Ride”.  James’ moved with the beat so fluidly.  Patrick found himself leaning forward again as the shirt was opened, slipping down off one shoulder as he swirled his hips again.  Then the shirt was coming off, being twirled over his head before being thrown towards the back of the stage.  Long, slender fingers slid down strong thighs as the man rolled his entire body.  Then the button on the pants was being opened.  James’ dance moves put his back to the stage as he thrust his ass out.  For a moment all Patrick could focus on was how perfect and round it was, and how tightly the dark fabric clung to it.  Slowly his eyes moved up, intent on watching the way the man’s muscles moved.  Something caught his attention, a small discoloration on the man’s upper back that the light drew attention to.  Sweat glistened on his naked flesh and shimmered under the stage lights._

 

_Before Patrick could consider what he had seen, James was turning back around again.  The fly was hanging open, the edge of a blue G-String visible as the song faded and another one came on.  Britney Spears’ “Candy Shop”.  He’d seen one of the girls dance to this before but somehow, the song seemed to suit James so much better.  As James slid his hands down inside the pants, Patrick felt himself getting hard again.  If it wouldn’t be considered public indecency, he would be eagerly whipping his cock out and stroking it as he imagined James mouth instead of his hand.  The image nearly had him coming right there._

 

_As the pants slid down his legs, Patrick took his fill of the perfect body now straddling the chair and grinding against the seat.  Baby oil made the man’s skin glisten, and Patrick groaned as he pressed a palm against his cock under the table.  Fuck, this was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen!  James often used the chair in his act and he turned to face the crowd now, parting his legs and rolling his hips.  It put him on display and even though the thin slip of fabric covered his crotch, the outline of a rather impressive cock was still visible.  But so were more discolorations.  What in hell?_

 

_Patrick’s stomach dropped as he realized what he was looking at.  James had covered up dozens of bite marks and hickeys.  Fury ripped through him as he whipped his head around again. Green eyes were hooded and watching James closely as he moved across the stage.  The man’s lower lip was caught between his teeth and one hand was draped casually across his groin, no doubt hiding his own hard cock.  The idea that this nobody, this asshole had managed to fool James into thinking he wanted him, it enraged him like nothing ever had before.  This son of a bitch had touched James in the most intimate way, had tasted him, had fucked him.  It was a personal insult to Patrick!  Before he could decide what he wanted to do, what he even could do without getting himself banned, the song was ending.  Suddenly everyone was on their feet cheering and clapping.  James was smiling, but his blue eyes were locked on the green ones at the back of the room.  Never in his life had Patrick wanted someone dead as much as he did the man that had taken James from him._

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Cas was awash with emotion as he waited backstage for the floor to be cleaned and cleared for his performance.  They had learned a few years back to clean it up real good after a dancer slipped in baby oil left behind by a previous performer and broke their elbow.  Now Fergus was extra careful to make sure nothing _except_ the dancers was slippery.  Once it was clean Ash, the maintenance man on hand, scurried off the other side of the stage. The lights went down as his chair was placed in the center of the stage and he walked over, positioning himself behind it.  Then the music started.

 

He let it wash over him, fill him, and he became one with it, letting it guide his movements.  His hips moved on instinct as he looked out over the crowd.  There he was, the most beautiful man Cas had ever seen.  Dean was watching him closely, and every move he made was only for him.  He had probably close to a hundred people watching, but the only person who mattered was Dean.  The reason his boyfriend had come to watch him dance tonight was because this was the last time he would ever be doing it professionally.  This was his farewell to the world of erotic dancing, and he wanted Dean  to be here for it.  As he swayed and moved, thrusting his hips in a seductive dance, he looked back at his boyfriend.  He was quite pleased to see the effect he was having on the man.  Later, he wanted to ride that cock so hard he couldn’t walk the next day.

 

The song changed and as Cas stripped his thoughts turned to his sweaty body and the foundation he had applied.  Some of it looked to be rubbing off.  Hopefully Fergus wouldn’t give him too much hell for it.  Not that it mattered, this was his last night. This was his final dance, one last chance to woo the audience and hopefully make a boatload of tips before he jumped into the world of academia.  The excitement over that thought had him dancing with even more enthusiasm.  When his eyes met Dean’s again he could see the love and adoration in them right alongside the lust. He smiled.  

 

This was love, and not just the passing kind, but the kind that sort of felt like maybe it could be forever.  That was both exciting and scary, and he couldn’t wait to experience more of it.  The music faded into the third and final song of his dance.  The cheering from the crowd was deafening, and money was being thrust eagerly up at him.  Smoothly, he collected what was handed over.  The money on the stage he would pick up when his performance was over.  He happened by chance to glance to his left and there was Patrick, his eyes locked not on his crotch or his face like usual, but on his thighs, and he looked absolutely furious.  He had stripped all the way down to his G-string by that point so he took a glance down to see what the man was looking at and oh…

 

Even in the dimmer light and with the foundation, the marks on his skin were pretty visible.  The glaring hatred in his stalker’s eyes was actually more than a little bit frightening.  Still, he finished out his dance and when the music came to a stop, the audience roared even louder.  He bowed politely and while Ash came out to make sure the floor was clean, he gathered up his tips.  As he exited the stage he found Dean waiting for him.

 

“Wow, you were…”  Dean huffed out a small laugh.  “Amazing.  I’ve never seen anything like that before.”  He stepped closer and even in the shitty lighting Cas could clearly see the lust still in his eyes.  “Tell me you’ll do something like that for me sometime.”

 

Cas laughed and tugged playfully at the edge of Dean’s tee shirt.  It was too warm in here to wear his usual flannel and his boyfriend almost looked naked without it.  Making sure they were still out of sight from the rest of the room, he snaked a hand under the fabric to brush the tips of his fingers over Dean’s stomach.  The muscles fluttered, and he moaned softly.  It was threatening to make him hard, and he still had work to do.

 

“Only for you from now on.”

 

He watched the way Dean’s eyes darkened.

 

“Fuck yeah.”

 

He kissed Dean quickly before anyone saw and stepped around him.

 

“I need to shower and change.  I’ll have to see if there is anything else Fergus expects from me tonight, or if I can cut out now.  If you see me back out here again, you’ll know he’s not quite done with me yet.”

 

“It’s ok, I’m enjoying the view.”  Dean’s eyes slid down Cas’s body, lingering on the G-string.  As much as he hated the damn things he might consider hanging on to a few.  Just for Dean’s entertainment of course.

 

“I’ll see you in a bit.  If he lets me off early I’ll text you to let you know to meet me out back.  Patrick is here, and he looks angry.  The foundation didn’t really work so I think he saw all the marks you left.”

 

“So what?  He touches you, he’ll be a few fingers short when I’m done with him.”  There was anger in Dean’s voice, and Cas wanted to chase it away.  This time he kissed Dean longer, feeling the tension slip away.

 

“After tonight we’ll never see him again, so what does it matter?  I have to get back there though.  I love you; I’ll see you soon.”

 

Dean nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he watched Cas disappear into the locker room.  Once he was out of sight, he stepped back into the main room and let his eyes wander until they landed on Patrick.  The man was in a rather heated argument with Balthazar.  He made his way back to his table and took his seat again.  It caught him off guard a few minutes later when Balthazar appeared with a fresh drink and set it down in front of him.

 

“You’d better watch out for that one.  He was trying to get information on you.  I don’t think he’s right in the head,” the man warned.

 

“Who, Patrick?”

 

Balthazar gave a quick nod.

 

“He’s been trouble for the last few years now.  I’m glad _James_ is getting out of here.  You take care of him and keep him safe, you hear?  He may be able to fight, but sometimes the opponent doesn’t fight fair, and he tends to forget that.”

 

Dean swallowed hard and nodded.  He didn’t want to admit just how much Balthazar’s words chilled him.

 

“I’ll take good care of him.  No one’s going to hurt him.  I’d sooner kill them than let him get hurt.”

 

Balthazar studied him for a moment, and Dean wondered what he was searching for exactly.  Finally he smiled softly.

 

“You love him.”

 

“With everything I’ve got,”  Dean replied.

 

“Good.  He needs that.  Still, you’d best watch out for the Irish dick.  He has a vendetta against you.  Thinks you stole James away from him.”  He arched an eyebrow, and Dean realized he was not kidding.

 

“What the hell?  James wasn’t dating him and never would!”

 

“Shh, I know that and you know that, but men like him, they exist in their own little fantasy world.  There are reasons why tonight there were no announcements that this was James’ last night.  It’s to protect him from guys like that.  He’ll go out quietly, and we’ll deal with Patrick when he comes in looking for him and flips out.  Fergus has already been training the staff on how to handle him and men like him.  We’ve never really had anyone like him in here before.  While he is lewd and comes on strong, he has not given Fergus a reason yet to toss him out.  Were this my club I’d have tossed him out the first time he came on to James, but it’s not, and it’s Fergus’ call.  I think the only reason he has tolerated the man this long is because he brings in a lot of money.  That’s not a good enough reason as far as I’m concerned.”  Balthazar sighed and looked up towards the stage where Rose was doing a slow strip.  Dean didn’t even bother glancing in her direction.  When his phone buzzed in his pocket he pulled it out.

 

 **Cas:**  Taking a quick shower to get rid of oil and foundation.  Meet me out back in 15

 

Dean downed the tumbler of whiskey Balthazar had brought him and patted the man on the shoulder, drawing his attention back.

 

“Will we see you at the party?”

 

Balthazar smiled.  “I shall try.  My niece is actually graduating high school that same day.  If I don’t make it, I’ll stop by at some point with his gift.”

 

“I’ll let him know.  He’s showering now and then we’re heading out.  You be safe too.  I don’t trust that guy.”  Dean’s gaze went over Balthazar’s shoulder to the table where Patrick still sat, looking around at the servers, no doubt trying to find Cas again.

 

“Oh, I’m not a threat, therefore he doesn’t bother with me anymore.  He got me out of the way.  Don’t let him do that to you.”  Balthazar met his gaze one more time, and Dean could see the pain and regret that still lingered there.  He watched as the man made his way back in the direction of the bar.  There was no way he was going to let an asshole like this Patrick guy come between him and Cas.  He was so glad this was the last time they’d ever have to see that man.


	15. Chapter 15

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“Cas, stop fidgeting, it’s on straight.”  

 

Dean smacked his boyfriend’s hands away again.  He kept tugging at his tie out of nervousness and sending it askew.  This was the third time Dean had to fix it for him.

 

“Can you believe my parents actually called to congratulate me? I’m in shock. I thought for sure they had forgotten they even had a 3rd child by now. I haven’t talked to them in years.  Apparently they were asking Anna about me and she told them I was graduating, so they called. I’m still numb.”

 

“Sometimes, even when parents are assholes, they don’t stop loving their children, even if it seems like they do.  I know I’m proud of you.  I’ve been telling everyone I have a sexy doctor for a boyfriend.  I’m making all the guys at poker night jealous.”  Dean winked, easing some of his nervousness.  Cas smiled and reached out to grab the lapels of his boyfriend’s suit jacket and pull him in for a kiss.

 

“I doubt you’re making them all jealous, considering most of them are straight.”

 

Dean chuckled, and Cas could feel his smile against his own lips.

“Well, in _my_ head they’re all jealous.”

 

That eased some of Cas’ nervousness, and he laughed, happy to have the distraction.  Then he spotted several familiar faces making their way towards them.

 

“Oh, are you ready to meet my family?”  He looked up at Dean, who now looked to be the nervous one.  He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and squeezed him.  “It’s ok, they’re going to love you.”

 

“I sure hope so,”  Dean muttered just before a woman with long red hair hurried over, and Cas let him go so he could turn to hug her.

 

“I’m so excited!  You’re a _doctor_!  I’m totally introducing you to everyone as my brother the doctor!”  She cried as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.  Cas was laughing happily.

 

“You don’t have to do that.”  He stepped back and turned to smile warmly at Dean.  “Anna, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Dean.  Dean, this is my sister, Anna.”

 

Dean offered a hand and smiled politely as they shook.

 

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Anna.  Cas speaks often of you.  It feels as though I already know you.”

 

She smiled and he could see the family resemblance, despite the different hair and eye color.

 

“Same.  Cas talks about you all the time.  I’ve only gotten to see your picture. It really didn’t do you justice,” she teased. Cas laughed and smacked her arm playfully before motioning to more people that were coming.

 

“Dean, this is my brother in law, Jeremy, my brother, Gabe, and my niece Lexi.”  He noticed the little kids weren’t there.  “Where are the rugrats?”

 

“They won’t sit still for this, you know that.  They don’t sit still in church.”  Jeremy laughed.  “My mother has them.  She’ll be bringing them later to the party.”

 

Cas knew that was for the best.  He was glad Lexi was there though.  She smiled when he kissed her forehead.

 

“How’s your chair doing on this grass?” he asked her.

 

“It’s slow going, but I made it,” she replied.  When Cas turned around he saw Gabe shaking hands with Dean.

 

“You know my brother?  How?”  Dean was asking.

 

Uh oh.  Cas hurried to deflect that possible fight.

 

“I introduced them.  Sam comes over sometimes to study or we go to the library together.  Gabe comes over a lot.”

 

“So do I!  I met him too!  He’s dreamy,”  Lexi sighed.  That got Dean laughing.

 

“Oh, uh…”  He looked at Cas with one eyebrow cocked in question.

 

“Ok, well, the ceremony starts in 15.  I need to find my seat.  You can sit in those seats over there as they’re designated for those that are disabled.”  Cas said as he pointed at the seats along the side wall.  The ceremony was being held on the football field so guests were expected to sit in the bleachers.  Those unable to get into the bleachers had a set of seats where they could sit.

 

“We’ll sit there.  You guys go on and sit in the bleachers.  You’ll have a better view, and Anna, you better get good pictures.”  Gabe went to stand by his daughter’s side while Anna threaded her arm through Dean’s.

 

“You’ll sit with us?”

 

“Yeah, sure.  I brought my camera too.”  He tapped the bag hanging on one shoulder.

 

“Oh, do you have a zoom lens?”  She was already dragging him in the direction of the bleachers.

 

“Please don’t let her question him like he’s a murder suspect.  He’s already intimidated meeting you guys,”  Cas pleaded with his brother in law.  Jeremy laughed as he started following his wife.

 

“I will try!”

 

Cas took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

 

“You got this, little brother.  Go on.”  Gabe winked and grinned. He was right.  Cas nodded.

 

“I’ll see you guys after.”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Cas sat quietly, trying not to melt in his gown as he waited for his name to be called.  He adjusted his cords as he texted with Dean.  From his seat on the field he couldn’t see where his sister had stolen his boyfriend away to, but wherever they were sitting, Dean was able to see him.  When his row finally stood up, he tucked the phone in his pocket and followed everyone up to the stage.

 

As his name was called, his family erupted into loud cheers.  He could hear Dean whistling as he made his way across the stage to collect his diploma.  He paused, searching his family out, and saw his sister waving.  He couldn’t resist thrusting his diploma in the air.  That earned him applause from his fellow graduates as well as everyone in the bleachers, and his entire way back to his seat he wore a smile so wide that his cheeks ached.  It was worth the pain.

 

When the ceremony was over he started heading for the bleachers, but Dean met him before he got more than a few yards.  A large bouquet of yellow roses, his favorite flowers, were thrust into his hands and then he was being swept up in strong arms.

 

“You did it!”

 

Cas laughed as he was set back on his feet.

 

“It was a long road, but I’m finally _done_!”

 

“Cassie!  I got pictures!”  Anna was hurrying over with more flowers and pulling him into a hug.

 

“I did too.  Got a great one of you holding up your diploma.  I think I’m going to blow that one up so you can frame it.”  Dean slipped an arm around Cas’ waist, making the man smile as he leaned into him.  He could hear the pride in Dean’s voice, and that made him happy.

 

“It’s party time, everyone.  We have two hours until people start arriving, and we still have to get the food prepped,”  Anna announced.

 

“I’ll go help Gabe with Lexi,”  Jeremy said before walking off.  Anna clapped her hands excitedly.

 

“Let’s go!”


	16. Chapter 16

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“This is Anna and Jeremy’s house?”  Dean asked as he parked where Cas told him to.

 

“Yes.”

 

Dean got out and came around to open Cas’ door for him.  Cas had turned in his gown and as he stepped out of the car, he held his cap and cords close to his chest.  The diploma he had received on stage was fake.  The real one was being sent in the mail, due within the next six weeks.  Together they walked around the side of the house to a gate.

 

“Through here.”  Cas led Dean into a spacious backyard decorated with balloons and banners that declared _“Congratulations!”_  Cas was flattered.  He smiled at Dean before leading him across the yard to a deck where Jeremy was busy getting the grill set up and Dean left to go help him.  Cas could see his niece and nephews running around playing, and that made him happy.  He took his cap and cords into the house, where he found Anna and Jeremy’s mother, Cecilia, busy preparing various dishes.

 

“Oh!  You’re here!  Where’s Dean?”  Anna asked as she got started on a potato salad.  Cas set his things on a high shelf so the kids wouldn’t grab them later, and dove in to help.

 

“Helping Jer with the grill.  When is the last time you guys used that thing?”

 

“Oh, um, last summer?  Or maybe it was the summer before that.”  Anna frowned as she tried to remember.  “When we did that church get-together here.”

 

“It’s filthy, and I believe it might be clogged, based on what I heard Jer saying to Dean before I came inside. I think he can fix it though.” Cas took the opened cans of kidney beans Cecilia slid his way and started on another salad.

 

“I look forward to meeting him.  You look happy,”  Cecilia said.  He could feel her eyes on him.

 

“I am.  He makes me very happy.”

 

She smiled as she passed bowls of diced onion, celery and relish his way.

“That’s wonderful.  So tell me, how did the ceremony go?”

 

Cas got to chatting with Cecilia while putting together the rest of the salad.  When Lexi came in he passed the finished product off to her to put in the fridge.  Dean eventually came in seeking out the meat to put on the grill.

 

“Is it working?”  Cas asked him.

 

“Yep.  It needed a good cleaning.  I’m going to order the new lines and replace them for him.  It’s a lot cheaper than replacing the entire grill,”  Dean replied.

 

“Oh, Dean, I’d like you to meet Jeremy’s mother, Cecilia Matthews.  Cecilia, this is my boyfriend, Dean Campbell.”

 

Cecilia turned around from where she was making deviled eggs to greet him, but her eyes widened and she gasped.

 

“Dean!”

 

“Cece…uh, hey.”  Dean scratched nervously at the back of his neck.

 

“Wait, you two know each other?”  Cas asked.

 

“I used to go to the church too, remember?”  Dean’s cheeks were flushed, and he wasn’t looking Cas or Cecilia in the eye. She seemed to have recovered from her initial shock but if the way she was clutching her bag of filling for the eggs was any clue, Cas knew she was upset.  He wanted to know why.

 

“Why do I get the feeling there is more to this than you’re telling me?”

 

“Uh…”  Dean was downright nervous now that everyone, Anna included, was staring at him.

 

“Does John know?”  Cecilia asked softly.  Dean quickly shook his head.

 

“It’s none of his business what I do.”

 

“What are you _talking_ about?”  Cas slapped his hand down hard on the counter, ignoring the sting and the pain that radiated up his arm.

 

Cecilia looked pointedly at Dean.  It was on him to open his mouth.

 

“Someone better start explaining,”  Cas said angrily.

 

“Babe, can we talk for a minute?”  Dean asked.

 

Cas shot him a look of reproach before walking out of the room.  Dean followed. He ended up following Cas up to the second floor and down to a room at the end of the hall.  Once they were inside and the door was closed Cas was on him, the anger in his eyes making them an even brighter shade of blue.

 

“What the hell was that?  You know my brother-in-law’s mother and then act all cryptic in front of me, like I’m not even there?  Do you know how rude that is?!”

 

“I know; I’m sorry!  Look, I have something to tell you, and you aren’t going to like it.  Just…you need to know that it’s part of my past, and there are reasons why I don’t talk about it,”  Dean pleaded.  Cas backed off and snapped his wrist up in an indication to get on with it.

 

“My biological father, the one that neither Sam nor I will acknowledge as family, is John Winchester.  I was born Dean Michael Winchester.  After I was disowned, I moved in with Bobby Singer and his wife, Karen.  When my brother Sam was kicked out a few years later, he came to live with the Singers too.  When I was 18, I legally changed my last name to my mother’s maiden name.  Sam did the same.  We _are not_ Winchesters.  We do not acknowledge John as our father, we do not carry his name, we have almost no contact whatsoever with him.  I do the work on the church vehicles because of Ellen, Jody, and a few others that never shunned me.  John pushed me away.  The church did not, but as long as that man is head pastor, I refuse to step foot in there.”

 

Cas could hear the bitter pain in Dean’s voice, and it hurt him to know it was the same asshole he loathed with every ounce of his being who had caused it.  He moved back into Dean’s space and wrapped his arms around his waist.

 

“I’m sorry.  For getting upset downstairs, but more so that you were essentially abandoned by the one person that should love you unconditionally.  I could never do that to my own children.”

 

Dean relaxed and a moment later Cas felt his boyfriend’s arms circling around him in return.

 

“He was a monster of a father.  Before my mother died, he wasn’t that bad.  Strict but fair. After she died, he became another person entirely. The Bible became his everything, but he can’t follow his own teachings.  He has forgotten how to love.”

 

“I feel like an ass for all the times I complained about him in front of you.”  Cas chuckled against Dean’s shoulder.  “I wouldn’t have said anything had I known he was your father.”

 

“He’s not.  Bobby was more of a father to me than John ever was.  It’s why I call him by his first name.  Even to his face when I am forced to speak to him.  He doesn’t deserve to be called father.  He doesn’t know how to be one.  So you bitching about him, it’s fine with me.  We’d only have issues if you insulted Bobby.  Speaking of…”  Dean stepped back so he could look at him.  “Bobby laughed when I told him I was seeing you.  Said he knew you weren’t straight and that Karen wanted to introduce us before they moved, but he told her to back off.  He finds it ironic that we found one another anyway, and Karen apparently isn’t letting him live it down.  They want us to come out for Thanksgiving and visit.”  Dean watched him carefully.  For a moment Cas didn’t understand why, but then it clicked.  They’d been seeing one another only a few months now.  Thanksgiving was still several more months away.  Four more, to be exact.  Bobby expected that they would still be together at that point.  Thinking about it, Cas expected it too.  He didn’t want to give Dean up.  This was the happiest he had ever been in a relationship before and from the moment Dean had first said he loved him, he knew he was in this for the long haul.

 

“I would like that.  Are we driving?  We can leave right after I get off work on Wednesday.  Come back Sunday.”

 

Dean smiled before leaning in to kiss his forehead.

 

“Yeah, that works perfectly.”

 

Distantly they heard someone calling Cas’ name.

 

“I think it’s time to head back down.  It is your party after all,”  Dean said.

 

“Alright.  Let’s go.”  Cas took him by the hand, and together they made their way back downstairs.  In their absence it was as though chaos had suddenly erupted.

 

“Hey, what’s going on?”  Cas demanded, trying to be heard over his sister and Gabe who had come in from the yard.  A glance over at Jeremy, who stood stone-faced near the kitchen table, wasn’t cluing him in one bit.

 

“Oh, Cas, we didn’t know!”  Anna had tears in her eyes, and she was dabbing at them with a napkin to keep her mascara from running.

 

“What are you even talking about?”  He was so confused.  Anna sniffled but wasn’t answering, so he looked at her husband but Jeremy just pursed his lips and turned away.  Whatever this news was, he wasn’t going to be the one to share.

 

“Just tell me,”  Cas pleaded.  Anna glanced nervously at Dean before meeting her brother’s stare.

 

“I-I invited John and Kate.  I didn’t know…”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

“Oh.  Wow.”  Dean looked over at Cas who was trying to process what his sister had just said.  John Winchester was coming to his party.  Where both Dean _and_ Sam would be.  He would see that they were in a relationship.  Was that going to affect Jeremy negatively?  Cas turned to look at his brother-in-law.  The man’s expression was grim.

 

“Jer?  Can he fire you because of me?”

 

“Absolutely not!  I can’t be fired without a majority vote from the council, but that doesn’t mean he won’t make things even more miserable in hopes of getting me to quit.”

 

“Well, I know a solution to that.”  Dean crossed his arms, the smug expression on his face confusing everyone in the room.

 

“What is that?”  Jeremy asked.

 

“I know I just told Cas that as long as John works at that church, I’d never step foot in there again, but I actually think it’s about time Sam and I started attending church again,” he replied.  Cas swallowed hard.  Starting WWIII was not his intention.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The consensus was that they would continue with the preparations for the party, and Dean took over on the grill while Jeremy and Anna greeted the guests as they started to arrive.  Cas was busy setting food up on the tables outside and making sure everything was covered to keep it fresh and bug free while Gabe and Lexi kept the little ones under control.  Jeremy had said the chances of John even showing up were slim since it was clear the pastor deeply disliked Cas.  That allowed everyone to relax just a little.

 

Sam arrived with Dean’s friends Charlie and Gilda, and Dean abandoned the grill for a few minutes so he could steal the baby from them.  Cas, upon meeting Charlie, had become instant friends.  She was so likeable and sweet that it was hard not to get along.  He made his way over to them, and Dean immediately turned so he could see Luke’s tiny face.

 

“He’s getting so big.  He has more hair it looks like.”  Cas touched the rust colored locks on the baby’s head and smiled.  He was looking more like Dean now.

 

“He does have more hair.  He’s all smiles now,”  Gilda said proudly.  Cas smiled at the baby and stroked his finger down Luke’s cheek.

 

“Hi, sweetheart.  Aren’t you a handsome boy,” he cooed.  The baby graced him with a huge, gummy smile.

 

“He’s so beautiful,”  Dean gushed.

 

“Who’s this?”  Anna was drawn to babies like a moth was to a flame, and Luke smiled at her.

 

“Charlie and Gilda are our friends.  Charlie is Dean’s best friend.  This is their son, Luke.”  Cas introduced.  “This is my sister, Anna.”

 

They all shook hands and somehow Anna managed to snag Luke from Dean, much to everyone’s amusement.  People continued to arrive and once Charlie had reclaimed her son, Cas moved to his sister’s side to greet people.  He kept his fingers crossed that John would not show his face.

 

Dean returned to manning the grill and Cas made his rounds, accepting congratulations from family and friends alike.  People from the club had come at Cas’ invite, and he was glad to see Cole and his wife had brought the kids.  Ruby and Victor (and that was a little awkward when Dean explained he had actually dated Victor for a few months a couple of years earlier, until Victor had moved out of state for another job.  He hadn’t even known Victor had come back and taken the job at the club until he came to see Cas that first night.  Neither man was bitter, and Cas wasn’t the jealous type.) had come, as well as Jake, who had finally come back to the club, Gordon, and even Fergus, much to Cas’ surprise, stopped by briefly.  

 

People from the church came by too, and Cas wanted to giggle at the irony of it all.  They mingled with the dancers without any knowledge of what Cole and the others did for a living.  For Anna and Jeremy’s sake he had asked his friends from the club to refrain from speaking about their jobs.

 

It was fun seeing everyone getting along.  Cas conversed with guests, enjoyed a couple of beers and introduced Dean to those that hadn’t already met him.  Fergus joked that Dean would make a beautiful dancer, which got the man turning ten shades of red.  He wasn’t surprised to learn that Dean was Sam’s older brother, and taken or not, he wasn’t above a little flirting either.  That just made Dean blush even more.

 

Those from church that had been invited were ones that Jeremy got along well with.  It had been so long for most of them that they had no idea who Dean was, but those like Ellen and Jody knew.  And they had been invited too.  Jody was more than a little surprised to see him and Sam there and immediately made her way over.

 

“Dean W-”  She caught herself.  “Dean Campbell.  What on earth are you doing here?  I didn’t know you knew Castiel.”  She pulled him into a hug, and he happily hugged her back.

 

“Yeah, uh, me and Cas…we’re dating.”  Dean was grinning happily as he stepped back to look at her.  She arched one eyebrow as she looked over at Cas.

 

“I’m guessing that’s why you’ve been the object of every single lady at church’s fantasy, but never agreed to go out with any of them.”

 

Cas laughed and shrugged.

 

“They’re not my type.”

 

“I figured,” she laughed.

 

“Do you know if John is coming?”  Dean asked.  Jody’s smile wavered a bit but didn’t completely fade.

 

“It’s doubtful that he will. He is not a fan of Cas standing up to him in church. Tried to get us to agree to ban him, but Chuck put him in his place.”

 

“Ban me?  Seriously?  I called him out on his insulting me for working on a Sunday.”  Cas was pissed.  Fucking John Winchester.

 

“I knew you had balls, babe.  It’s just one of the many reasons I love you,”  Dean whispered in his ear as he slipped an arm around Cas’ waist.

 

“He’s a dick,”  Cas grumbled.  Even Jody heard that and chuckled.

 

“You won’t find me arguing.  Sadly, he wasn’t always like that.  He was a different man when Mary was alive.  I’m one of the few still with the church that remembers her.” Her smile was full of sadness when she looked at Dean.  She tore her gaze away to meet Cas’ again.  “She was the backbone, not only of their family but of the church.  Kate, she’s…meek.  Nothing like Mary was.  It’s a good thing Ellen and I are strong.  We don’t let him walk all over us.”

 

Cas had just brought his arm up around Dean’s waist when he noticed an odd silence had fallen over his guests.  The only sound was the children playing and the music coming from the stereo across the yard.  All of the adults had stopped talking and were staring at something past where Jody stood.  He leaned around her, his eyes widening when he spotted the cause.

 

“Oh…God…he came…”

 

Jody turned to see what he was looking at, her smile immediately falling away.

 

“Oh.”

 

Cas looked up at Dean for a clue as to how he was feeling but the man was stiff, his expression neutral.

 

“I’m going to go check and see if we need to cook anything else.”

 

It was short, his voice tight, and then Dean was gone from his side, marching across the yard towards the house.

 

“I should check on him.”  He got only a few steps away before Jody caught his arm.

 

“He needs to be away from John.  Let him be.  Right now, he feels like a trapped animal.  Sam was always able to stand up to him, something John resented very much. Dean was always the good little soldier, but a perpetual disappointment as far as his father was concerned.  He tried so hard to make his father proud, but I think that after losing Mary, John lost himself.  He felt abandoned by the God he had prayed to constantly his entire life.  Watching the change that occurred, it was both terrifying and heartbreaking at the same time.”  She sighed heavily.  “It’s a shame what he did to those boys.  They didn’t deserve that.  I’m glad they got away when they did.”

 

“He’s a good man,”  Cas spoke softly.  Jody knew who he meant.  She nodded as she slipped her arm through his.

 

“He’s a better man than his father could ever be.”

 

She led him over to his new guests, despite the fact that John Winchester was the last person Cas ever wanted to see outside of church on Sunday mornings.  He was currently engaged in a conversation with Anna and Jeremy, not having taken notice of the other guests yet.  Instinctively Cas sought Sam out.  The man was sitting with several people from the club near the back of the yard but even from where he was, Cas could see the look of shock and terror on his friend’s face.  He wanted to go to him, to protect him, but Jody’s grip on his arm tightened as she continued to lead him towards the one person Cas hated most in this world.

 

John looked up and spotted them before his wife did.  His smile was forced and the contempt behind it was not well hidden.  Cas reached deep down within himself, pulling up every single ounce of kindness he could muster towards this man.  The thought that this was the father of the man he loved was enough to make him hold his tongue, no matter what John might say.  He forced a polite smile onto his lips.

 

“Hello John, Kate.  I am glad that you could make it.”

 

“Castiel.  I hear congratulations are in order.”  John offered his hand and Cas shook it.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Your degree is medical, is it not?  But I understand that you will be teaching?”

 

“I will be teaching future doctors and scientists.”  Cas didn’t much want to explain why he had decided on a teaching degree instead of going the rest of the way and actually practicing medicine.

 

“That’s noble.  Teachers are very much needed,”  Kate piped up.  She smiled sweetly and Cas realized she was holding something out in front of her.  Looking down he saw she held out a present.  The square shape told him exactly what was inside. The smile he offered her was kinder, and he accepted it graciously.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Are you glad to be finished with school now?”  Kate asked.

 

“Very.  I am looking forward to starting my new position at the university and instilling knowledge in the young, eager minds that find themselves in my classes,” he replied.  And he truly was happy about that.

 

“What will you be teaching, exactly?”  John asked.

 

“Anatomy and Physiology.”

 

John frowned.  “Anatomy?”

 

“You cannot expect one to be able to care for the sick without an adequate knowledge of the human body.  Every bone, every muscle, every artery.  Without that knowledge, we would not have doctors capable of healing injuries that would have killed us even a hundred years ago.  It will be my job to make sure they know every part of human anatomy so that they may go out into the world and become the best doctors they can, and save as many lives as possible,”  Cas said proudly.  John eyed him for a moment.  No doubt the idiot had heard the word “anatomy” and had immediately thought the course focus would be on the reproductive organs.  Yes, he would be teaching about that as well, but it would be in a strictly clinical sense.

 

“What exactly is Physiology?  I know I’ve heard the term,”  Kate glanced nervously at her husband.  Frankly, this was the most Cas had heard the woman speak in all the time he had known her.  Usually if John was present, she was the quiet, obedient wife, letting him do all the talking.

 

“Basically, it’s the study of how body parts all work together.  First, I will teach them the body parts, then in the next course I will teach them how those parts work together.”  He didn’t mind explaining to her.  She smiled and nodded in understanding.

 

“Oh, that is wonderful!  Adam is considering going into medicine,” she said proudly.

 

“No, he is _not_.  He’s taking over when I retire,”  John snapped.

 

And just like that, the entire tone of the conversation changed. Cas clutched his paper wrapped Bible (because he knew _exactly_ what the Winchesters had gifted to him as his graduation present) and glanced at Jody.

 

“Hey, you guys hungry?  There’s food.  Beer if you’re interested?”  Jody smiled as she tried to defuse the possible explosion that was about to happen.  John was glaring hard enough at his wife that even Cas withered under the intensity of it.

 

“You know my stance on alcohol,”  John finally said.  “It’s a gateway to sin.”

 

Jody was so tense beside Cas that he thought she might snap and punch John herself.  Instead, she simply waved it off.  Cas wished he could be as cool and collected as her.

 

“Well, there is plenty of food.  Burgers, chicken, ribs, or if you’re prefer a salad?”  Jody looked over at Anna, who quickly nodded.

 

Oh, yes, we have salad.”

 

“A burger would be fine.  Kate?”  John turned in question to his wife.  Cas bit back a sarcastic comment about how he was actually letting his wife choose what she wanted to eat.

 

“I think I’ll try the ribs,” she said.  Cas was desperate for an excuse to go and check on Dean so he headed into the house to get the food before Jeremy could offer.

 

There were voices somewhere near the kitchen.  Following them he found Dean sitting at the kitchen table with Lexi.  They were engaged in a conversation about TV shows when he walked in.  Dean smiled at him.

 

“They still here?”

 

“Unfortunately,”  Cas replied dryly as he headed to the covered pans of food to start getting them meat.  The rest of the food was still outside, they could get that themselves.  “They’re staying long enough to eat.”

 

Dean huffed in annoyance.  “Did they notice Sam?”

 

“No, but he sure noticed them.  He looks like a deer in the headlights.  I would go and try to calm him, except I’m afraid they would then realize.  When is the last time they saw him?  Would they even recognize him?”

 

“Oh, they’d recognize him.  We see them regularly in town.  They’re just not looking for him, or for me, that’s why they haven’t noticed him yet.”  Dean scrubbed a hand down his face before glancing over at Lexi and seeing the puzzled expression on her face.  “I’m not on speaking terms with my biological father,” he explained.

 

“Is your dad John Winchester?” she asked.  Dean reluctantly nodded.

 

“I’m sorry.  He’s an asshole.”  She patted his hand, and that was just about the most hilarious thing he’d heard in ages.  He laughed, barely refraining from sounding hysterical.  It still had his boyfriend looking at him with concern.  Abandoning his mission to get them food, he walked over to the table.  Dean immediately wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist.

 

“You can hang out in here and as soon as they’re gone I’ll come get you, ok?”

 

Dean sighed and nodded.  “Thanks, babe.”

 

“I’ll keep him company.  Dad’s getting on my nerves,”  Lexi said.  Cas chuckled before ruffling her hair.

 

“He’s always getting on your nerves.  Did you tell Dean about your job?”

 

Dean sat back and smiled at her.  “That’s right, I heard that you are officially gainfully employed.  So what do you do?”

 

Cas left them to chat and carried the plates of food back outside.  And that was the moment he realized hell was about to erupt.  John had apparently noticed Sam and now they were standing toe to toe speaking in low but heated voices.  Even before he reached them Cas could tell they were sharing harsh words.  Jeremy was attempting to defuse the situation, as was Kate.  To Cas’ surprise she was actually trying to put herself between her husband and stepson.  He was glad they hadn’t brought Adam today.  Kid didn’t need to see his brother getting treated like this.

 

“Hey, what’s going on?”  He snapped once he was close enough to be heard.  From the corner of his eye he saw Victor and Cole getting to their feet.  The bouncer was ready to jump in and escort John out.  All he had to do was give the word.

 

“John’s not happy that I’m here,”  Sam’s voice was tight, and though Cas hadn’t known him long, he knew his friend was more than just angry.  He was downright _furious_.

 

“That’s a shame, isn’t it.  This is _my_ party, not a church function.  I invited who I wanted to have here to celebrate with me.  You’re my friend, Sam.  Of course I would invite you.”

 

“You associate with heathens!”  John accused.  Cas reminded himself to think of Dean.  He turned to look at Sam.

 

“Sam, do you consider yourself to be a heathen?”

 

“Absolutely _not_.  I have a deep belief in God, and I attend church regularly.  I just don’t attend _his_ church.” Sam looked at him, his hazel eyes squinting.  Cas knew the man was trying to figure out what he was getting at.

 

“That is what I thought.  You see, pastor, a heathen is a Godless soul, one who has turned away and shunned their creator.  Sam does not fit the description of heathen.  Neither do I.  I associate myself with respectable, kind, _polite_ people, and that is who _I_ invited.  My sister and brother-in-law invited the rest.”

 

Sam inhaled softly in surprise.  Cas continued to smile politely in the face of the pastor’s growing fury.  He was aware of the wide-eyed stare his sister was giving him, silently pleading with him to back down and just let it go.  She should know better.

 

“You are a corrupt young man.  How you can be related to Anna is beyond me.  You are so rife with sin that I can practically smell it on you.”  John wasn’t holding back his contempt now.  His tone was seething with black hatred, as though he had just been waiting for a moment like this where he could unleash on Cas.  

 

“It is not your place to judge me or anyone else, _John_.  Judgment is the Lord’s alone.  You are supposed to guide, not condemn.”  Cas caught the way Sam sucked in air next to him.  The way he saw it though, _someone_ had to stand up for the Campbell boys.

 

“How _dare you_!”  John bellowed.  His face was turning an alarming shade of red that had both Anna and Kate quite worried.

 

“John, you need to calm down, your blood pressure!”  Kate pleaded.

 

“John, please, calm down!”  Anna looked worried.  She touched his arm, and he violently shoved her away, making her stumble back and hit her shoulder against the house.  The sharp impact made her cry out.

 

“Hey!  You don’t touch my wife!”  Jeremy snapped as he helped Anna steady herself.  It was the most Cas had ever seen the man stand up to the asshole pastor.

 

“What the hell is going on out here?”

 

Cas and Sam both turned at the sound of a thunderous and familiar voice.

“Oh, shit,”  Sam whispered.  He grabbed Cas by the arm and dragged him back, out of Dean’s way.

 

“Did you just put your hands on Anna?”

 

“Who are you to speak to me in such a tone?”  John snapped.  Dean bristled at the man’s tone, standing tall.  He was the same height as John, and clearly not going to back down.

 

“Who do you think _you_ are, shoving innocent women?  Still an asshole, I see.  Clearly not following the words in your own ‘good book,’ not that I’m surprised,”  Dean snarled.

 

“Lying, hedonistic-” John was seething with rage.  How on earth could a father hate their own child so much?  Someone as wonderful and amazing as Dean was?  It was unfathomable!

 

“Stop it!”  Cas shouted.  “You!”  He thrust a hand out at John, his index pointing at him accusatorily.  “You are a _guest_ in this house!  You show _respect_!  That was extremely rude of you to shove my sister, your fellow church member and wife to your fellow pastor.  She deserves _respect_!”

 

“Cas-”  Dean put a hand on his shoulder but Cas shrugged it off.

 

“No, Dean.  This is blatant disrespect.  For my sister and Jeremy, who were kind enough to throw me this wonderful party at their home because they had the space for it, for me, who worked my _ass_ off for over a decade now to earn this degree and find my dream job, only to have _him_ disrupt it, and in front of _children_!”  Cas motioned towards where his niece and nephews, as well as the children of other guests, like Cole, were all standing and watching with wide, frightened eyes.  

 

“It was disrespectful to Sam when he was insulted, and it was disrespectful to you.  I have no tolerance for this!”  His voice rose several octaves, even cracking on the last word as he struggled not to cry.  “I have always been a man of faith, but you should be ashamed.  Raising a hand to women, judging others when judgment is not yours to give, turning your own children away.  I don’t understand how this congregation continues to follow you when you are the one that is walking the clear path to hell.”

 

 [](http://imgur.com/aDaKWZ4)

Cas barely had the chance to register the looks of shock on everyone’s faces before something hard slammed into his face. He flew back, his body hitting the ground and his head bouncing off the cement pathway, grunting as the wind got knocked out of him. Someone nearby was quoting the Bible. The verses were familiar and he mumbled along to them as he marveled over the strange floaty feeling he was suddenly experiencing. The sky above was the prettiest shade of blue, and the clouds were so fat and fluffy. He had just noticed a chem trail left behind by a jet when suddenly the sky was blotted completely out. Worried, familiar hazel eyes were staring at him.

 

“Cas?  You ok, man?”

 

He blinked.  Fuck his face hurt.  What the hell had happened?

 

“W-”  He instantly winced at the pain that shot through his face as he tried to talk.  Instead he groaned.

 

“Dean!”  Sam was shouting.

 

“Cassie?  Hey, buddy, you with me?”  Gabe was kneeling now on his other side, and Cas turned his head to look at him.

 

“Ow.”  At least he could get that out without too much pain.  Gabe let out a nervous chuckle.

 

“You had me worried for a second there, buddy.  Think you can get up?”

 

“W-”  He licked his lips in an attempt to try again but tasted blood.  “Dean?”

 

“Right here, babe!”

 

Gabe and Sam got Cas up into a sitting position, and he looked over to see that Dean had John Winchester pinned, thanks to help from Victor.

 

“We called the cops. We’re going to let them deal with John,” Gabe explained. “He tried to swing at Dean after he hit you, so he restrained him.”

 

Anna knelt down beside Sam and pressed a cold washcloth to her brother’s aching face.  He could feel the ice cubes tucked into it.  Not wanting to risk trying to talk anymore, he simply offered a look of thanks.  It hurt to see the tears in her eyes.  Jeremy stood to the side with Jody, a grim expression on both their faces.  Cas sent up a silent prayer that none of what had happened here today would reflect poorly on his brother-in-law.  He didn’t want the man to lose his job over this.

 

Cas was helped up off the ground shortly after the police arrived and moments later, paramedics arrived.  They assessed Cas’ injuries and recommended he stop by the hospital for an x-ray of his head as they suspected he had a concussion, but he declined their offer to take him right then.  With John in handcuffs and a sobbing Kate following him out, Dean had hurried to Cas’ side, fretting over his injuries.

 

“Babe, I’m so sorry.”  There were tears glistening in the green eyes Cas loved so much, and that pained him to see.  He put a finger to Dean’s lips and shook his head.  A silent plea to stop apologizing.  This wasn’t Dean’s fault.  This was John Winchester’s fault.

 

“I’m taking him to the hospital,”  Dean announced.  Cas groaned.  He really didn’t want to go, but his cheek and mouth ached something horrible.  John sure could pack a punch.

 

“I’m coming with.”  Anna had a look of defiance on her face that told everyone she wasn’t going to be told she couldn’t.

 

“Yeah, ok, come on.”  Dean helped Cas to his feet and guided him out to the Impala.  Anna had run back in the house to grab one of the reusable ice packs she used for the kids and joined them at the car.  Once Cas was settled in the passenger seat, Dean got behind the wheel.  Anna positioned herself behind her brother, leaning forward to switch out the wet washcloth for the new, gel-filled ice pack.

 

The ride to the hospital was only ten minutes but it felt like it took forever.  Anna was quick to get people to help, and soon Cas was sitting on a gurney in the ER, being assessed by a nurse.

 

“Lip is split, that’s why it’s hurting so much, but you have cuts inside your mouth too.  We’re going to need to stitch a few of those once we get the bleeding to stop. (Cas realized that was why he kept drooling.  It wasn’t saliva after all.) Bruising suggests it was a rather large man with a large hand that struck you.  I’m going to consult with the doctor real quick and then get you sent up for some x-rays.  I’m pretty sure you have a fracture.”  The nurse said.  Cas groaned.  Great, just what he needed, a broken, freakin face.

 

Once the nurse was gone, Dean sat down on the edge of the gurney and took his hand.  There were tears shimmering yet again in his eyes.

 

“You might not want me to apologize, but I can’t help it.  I never wanted you to get hurt.  I wish it had been me.  I’m going to take care of you though, ok?  They’re going to want you monitored overnight.  I know, I’ve had a few skull fractures of my own.  I’m staying at your place tonight.”

 

Cas nodded.  Talking was one of the most painful things he’d ever endured, so he stayed quiet, waiting to be taken up for his x-rays.  He sighed and stroked his thumb over the back of Dean’s hand.  Anna was sitting in a chair next to the bed speaking animatedly to someone, Jeremy most likely, on the phone.  When Cas looked over at her he could see that she had been crying too.  Her mascara was streaked and her normally smooth, red hair looked windblown.  He was still angry that she’d been shoved the way she had.

The nurse returned with gauze and after numbing his mouth, stuffed it full of gauze to try and stop the bleeding.  Cas, desperate to talk, fished his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the notepad on it.  He typed away on it and then turned it so Dean could see.

 

_Is Sam alright?_

 

Dean smiled warmly.

 

“He’s ok.  Shook up, but ok.”

 

Cas nodded.

 

_And you?_

 

“I’m pissed.  You never should have been hurt.  John is an ex-marine.  He knows how hard he can hit, and he didn’t pull that punch. I reacted too slow to stop him.  I’m mad at him for losing his temper like that, but I’m mad at myself for not seeing it coming before it happened so I could stop it,” Dean admitted. A small furrow appeared between Cas’ eyes as he resumed typing.

 

_It’s not your fault.  Clearly he’s unstable.  What did Jody say about it?_

 

Dean shrugged.  “Not much, really.  But I think she’s going to consult with the elders council.  This kind of behavior reflects badly on the church.  John was arrested.  If you press charges, there’s a good chance he’ll actually serve some time.  You see, John has a past that landed him in jail some years back.  A few times, actually.  A couple of bar fights in his late teens, early twenties, some protests he did when I was a kid that he got pretty violent at, and a few other things.  He may preach the words of a pacifist, but he doesn’t know how to follow his own words.”

 

Cas knew vaguely about the protests, but not about the rest.  Interesting.  He didn’t like the fact that his brother-in-law’s boss’ fate was in his hands.  He wasn’t doing anything until he consulted with Jeremy.

 

_I’m sorry I couldn’t hold my temper.  I was upset over how he treated you and Sam both, and pushing my sister was too much.  I worry about what he might be doing to Kate behind closed doors.  I really did try to hold my tongue.  Sam tried to make me, too.  I’m pissed that I didn’t see the punch coming.  I never thought he would actually hit me._

 

Dean read the words and Cas watched the little furrow between his brows growing steadily deeper.  When he looked up next there were so many emotions warring on his face that Cas was unable to get a gauge on the man’s feelings in that moment.

 

“It wasn’t your fault.  John is an asshole.  He was a ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ type during my childhood.  Nothing we did was good enough.  Not the hours spent reading scriptures on bended knee, not the hours of prayers we were forced to recite, not straight A’s in school, not charity work, _nothing_.  It took me until I was an adult before I realized that it wasn’t _us_ he wasn’t satisfied with.  It’s _him_.  He’s not happy with himself, therefore nothing in his life will ever bring him satisfaction or joy.  I refuse to live like that.”

 

_Do I make you happy?_

 

The smile that suddenly appeared on Dean’s face was one of the most beautiful things Cas had ever seen.

 

“Yes, baby, you make me happier than anything else, or anyone else.”

 

Cas wanted to smile back but his mouth was stuffed full of gauze and it hurt like a son of a bitch.  When the nurse returned he eyed her warily.  Dean had stood up to speak quietly with Anna so he was left alone on the gurney.  The nurse, her nametag read Petra, smiled as she got the sewing kit ready.  He whimpered when he saw the needle.

 

“Don’t like needles?”  she asked.  He shook his head no.

 

“Oh, well, does your wife want to hold your hand?  Would that help?”

 

“Huh?”  Dean turned around at that.

 

“I’m his sister.  This is his boyfriend.”  Anna pointed at Dean.  The nurse looked moderately embarrassed.

 

“Oh, my apologies.  Would you like to hold his hand?  The needle is the worst part.”

 

Dean returned to the gurney just as a second nurse walked in, pausing to put on a pair of gloves.  His task apparently was to hold Cas’ lip up while Petra numbed the area and did the stitches.  Cas clung to Dean’s hand, tears streaming down his cheeks each time she inserted the needle.  As the medicine took hold he relaxed a bit.

 

When the stitches were in, Cas was rolled away for his x-rays.  Dean sat down beside Anna.

 

“You ok?  He didn’t hurt you, did he?”  he asked.

 

“No, I’m fine.  That will teach me to wear wedges on grass though.”  She joked.  He looked down at her shoes on instinct, noting that at some point she had changed into flats.  Her ankle looked swollen though.

 

“Did you twist your ankle?”

 

“Not from John.  I lost my footing when he shoved me and I tried to catch myself.”  She reached down to rub her ankle, wincing slightly.

 

“Anna, it’s his fault.  He had no right to lay a hand on you.  I’m betting your shoulder is bruised too.  I’m so sorry.”  He felt awful over how things had turned out.  She smiled and patted his hand.

 

“It’s ok.”

 

“Will Jeremy lose his job because of this?  It’s up to the council, right?  Majority vote, but I know who the elders are.  Jody and Ellen won’t vote for it, and neither will Chuck, but John will, and so will Ed and maybe Noreen.  Who else is on the council?”  He knew there had been some changes since he’d left.

 

“Stuart Lowe and Nadine Franklin.  They could vote either way.  Neither are fond of Jer, but they don’t outright hate him either.  I don’t think it will come to that though.  Jeremy did nothing wrong here, John did.”  She nibbled at her lower lip as she thought.  “You know, I don’t care.  If Jeremy does get fired, it’s not the only church.  We can always join another.  I just hate the idea of leaving my family behind.  I love being so close to my brothers.”

 

“That’s how I feel about Sam.  I wish I knew Adam better.  He’s a good kid, tries hard to please his dad.  Still, I wouldn’t want to be far from him either, but you know, sometimes, life takes us in unexpected directions that we are helpless to resist. As a kid I thought I was on the path to becoming a minister.  It was what was expected of me.  I figured I’d get married, pop out the 2.5 kids, take over after my dad retired, and that was just how my life was going to be.  It’s not how my life went though, and I’m glad.”  He was glad to have taken a completely different path.

 

“You’re right.  And it’s not like my brothers need me as much anymore.  They’re both successful, independent men.  My focus needs to be on my own family,”  She sighed deeply.  When she looked up at him there was fondness in her eyes.  “You…love Cas?”

 

“I do.”  It sometimes scared him how much he loved the man.

 

“Good.  He needs that,” she said.  “Did he tell you about Meg?”

 

“We don’t have secrets.  He told me he was married, and how he was forced into it.  It’s something we have bonded over, having deeply religious parents.  I’m sure that had I stuck around, my dad would have chosen my wife for me too.  The scary thing is that I would have let him,” he admitted.

 

“He’s really a piece of work, isn’t he?”

 

Dean huffed out a laugh.  “Yeah, you could say that.”

 

“Do you think Cas’ face is broken?” she asked.

 

“I hope the cuts in his mouth is the worst of it. His mouth is going to be really sore for awhile,” he said. The bruises on Cas’ face made him wonder though.

 

“I hope that too,” she said softly.  Dean liked her.  She cared about her family.  His phone rang in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see that it was Sam calling.

 

“It’s Sam,” he said before answering the call. “Hey, Sammy, everything ok?”

 

“Yeah, how’s Cas?”

 

“He needed stitches in his mouth.  They took him for x-rays; we’re waiting for him to come back now,”  Dean replied.  Sam sighed.

 

“Shit.  I was worried John would lose his temper.  Jody and Ellen are furious.  They are calling for an emergency council meeting tonight.”

 

“I’m taking Cas back to his place after this.  Gotta drop Anna off first.”  Dean looked over at her and saw her smile and nod.

 

“Ok.  Party still went on for a little bit, but then Jeremy decided to call it quits.  We all pitched in to help put everything away, so he and Anna won’t have to do it later.  Everything is organized and cleaned up.  Gabe stayed behind with his daughter, but everyone else left.”

 

“Ok.  I’ll let you know how the x-rays turn out.”  Dean stretched his back, feeling it pop in several places.  He was mentally and physically exhausted now.  All he wanted to do was get Cas home and into bed so he could go to sleep too.

 

“Thanks.  I feel bad he got hurt because of John.  Fucking dick.”  Sam was pissed, Dean could hear it.

 

“Yeah, I know.  I’ll text you later.”

 

“Ok.  Bye.”

 

“Bye.”

 

Dean stuffed his phone back in his pocket and sat back to wait.  Anna did the same.


	17. Chapter 17

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Cas was back in under a half hour, dabbing at his mouth, which was oozing blood again.  He managed a half-cocked smile at his boyfriend.  Dean smiled before getting to his feet and moving over to lay next to him on the gurney again.

 

“Tired,”  Cas’ voice was muffled as he leaned against Dean’s shoulder.

 

“I know, baby.  I’ll take you home after this and you can go straight to bed, ok?”  Dean ran his fingers through Cas’ hair.  It was so unusual for the man to be this quiet.  He didn’t like it.  One of the things he loved about Cas was that he wasn’t afraid to speak up.  By nature Cas was pretty talkative, and they always had interesting conversations.  Seeing him quiet, hurting, it pained him greatly.

 

The doctor came in a little while later with the good news that nothing was broken, and instructions on how to care for the stitches.  He gave Cas a prescription for pain medicine and then he was being released.

 

“Oh, thank God you have nothing broken!”   Anna clasped her hands together and turned her eyes heavenward.  Dean got the feeling she wasn’t simply saying that, but that she meant it too.

 

“Let’s get out of here,” he said as he helped Cas up from the bed.

 

“Mmmhmm!”  Cas agreed.

 

They decided to just leave Cas’ presents at the house until he felt well enough to go through them, and after dropping Anna off (at which point Gabe, Lexi and Jeremy all came out to see for themselves that Cas was alright), Dean took him to fill his prescription and then they went home.  The anesthesia had worn off and Cas’ mouth hurt something awful, but he needed things, like a shower.  He pointed towards the bathroom.

 

“Shower.”

 

“Alright.  You going commando tonight or do you want pajama pants?”  Dean asked.  Cas felt a little chilly after coming into the air conditioned condo.  A hot shower might chase that away, but there was no guarantee.

 

“Pants.”  He decided if he got hot, he’d just strip them off.  Dean nodded, pausing outside the bathroom to kiss his forehead before heading in the direction of the bedroom.  Cas headed into the bathroom and got the shower started.

 

The hot water felt wonderful, and it felt great to wash the dirt and grass off his skin and out of his hair.  He gingerly cleaned away the blood that had crusted in the corners of his mouth and under his nose before finally climbing out and drying off.  He could hear music coming from somewhere, and when he opened the bathroom door it got louder.

 

“Dean?”  He winced at how much it hurt just to speak.

 

“Hang on, baby.  I made you tea to take with your pain medicine.”  Dean called from the kitchen.  Cas crossed the hall and stepped into the bedroom where a pair of thin pajama pants were waiting on the bed for him.  He put them on and went back to the bathroom to brush his teeth.  His tea would be free of sugar so he didn’t have to worry about needing to do it a second time later on.

 

Brushing his teeth turned out to be harder than he had anticipated.  He couldn’t brush the front of them on the upper right side, and that was frustrating.  After the painful ordeal he had to grab a washcloth because he was bleeding again.  He made his way back to the bedroom where Dean was waiting, already stripped down and lounging in the bed with his phone, which was the source of the music.  Cas pulled the blankets back and climbed into the bed.  Right away Dean was holding a mug of tea and a pill out to him.  Grateful for the care his boyfriend was giving, he swallowed the pill and took a sip of his tea.

 

“Pain level?”  Dean asked.

 

“Eight,”  Cas admitted.

 

“Well, lay down.  The pill should kick in soon.  I’m going to go brush my teeth.”  Dean got up and headed for the bathroom.  Cas pulled his phone out to see if he had any messages.  He had dozens.  As he weeded through them to see if there were any he wanted to answer just then, he listened to Dean humming to himself as he brushed his teeth.  They hadn’t been dating long, but they had grown very close.  Dean spent the night at least 3 nights every week, sometimes more but never less, and Cas loved the nights he was over.  This was the best relationship he’d ever had, and he was incredibly happy.  

 

By the time Dean had returned, Cas had finished the tea and set his phone aside.  As the man slid under the covers and laid back, Cas moved closer, draping himself over Dean.

 

“My face hurts.”  He wasn’t whining, just stating a fact.

 

“Pain level now?”  Dean asked.

 

“Four.”  He did feel better.

 

“Would you like an ice pack?”

 

“Later.”  Cas snuggled in closer.  The pain meds made him sleepy and it wasn’t long before he was drifting off.  Dean stroked his fingers through Cas’ dark locks until the man had fallen asleep.  The guilt over the day still weighed heavily on him, even though logically he knew Cas (and everyone else) was right.   Still, he loved Cas and any harm that came to him at the hands of someone Dean was unfortunately related to, it made him feel responsible.

 

Sleep did not come as easy for him, but he was loathe to move with Cas sleeping on top of him.  He liked the intimacy that came with sharing a bed with another person, but it had never been as enjoyable as it was with Cas.  Having Cas curl up against him made him feel needed, and he liked that feeling.  Of all the people he had dated, no one had gone out of their way to make him feel wanted and loved like Cas did.  He grabbed his phone and checked the local news, looking for any articles on John’s arrest.  There was nothing that called the pastor out by name, but there was a brief one that mentioned the party, the assault, and the resulting arrest.  He couldn’t figure out whether John was still in jail or if he’d been released on bail.  That was frustrating.  In the morning he’d talk to Cas again and find out if he wanted to press charges.  Frankly, he felt it was the right thing to do.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Cas woke the following morning in even more pain than he’d been in the night before.  His mouth hurt so bad he was whimpering before he was even fully awake.  He opened his eyes when he felt movement beside him, and then gentle hands were turning him over.

 

“Cas, baby, you rolled onto your right side.  Your face was pressed into the pillow.  Come here.”  Dean rolled him onto his back.  “Shit, I’m going to get your pain meds and an ice pack.”

 

He left Cas to go get them but returned quickly.  Cas sat up, wincing at the pain.  Dean pressed a pill into his hand and waited for him to put it in his mouth before offering the glass of water he had brought.  Once Cas had managed to swallow the pill, he laid back against the pillows with the ice pack Dean gave him.

 

“I’m guessing you hurt worse today.  Am I right?”  Dean asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.  He could see the misery in his boyfriend’s eyes.  Cas nodded.

 

“I thought so.  The medicine should help soon.  I’m going to make you some soup.”  He kissed Cas softly on the forehead before leaving to go make food for them both.  Cas groaned as he dragged himself out of the bed and went to relieve himself.  He was just stepping out of the bathroom when someone rang the buzzer.  Dean poked his head out of the kitchen but he waved the man off and headed to see who was at his door himself.  Smacking his lips slightly to get them to move better, he stepped up to the intercom.

 

“W-who’s there?”

 

“Castiel Novak?  This is Officer Howard.  I came to speak with you about yesterday’s incident.”

 

Cas was glad Dean was there with him.  He didn’t want to just let anyone into his home.  It was rare that he ever used the video that came with the buzzer, but he flipped it on now.  There stood a petite woman dressed in a police uniform.

 

“Alright.  I’ll buzz you in.  I’m on the 3rd floor.  Take the elevator straight up.”

 

He pressed the buzzer and then moved to the front door to wait.

 

“Who’s here?”  Dean asked, popping his head in.

 

“A police officer.”  Cas winced.  His mouth was killing him.  “I-I can’t.  Hurts too much.”

 

“I’ll explain that to the officer.  It’ll be ok.”  Dean went back to the kitchen to finish making the soup, and knowing him, tea or coffee too.  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open.  Castiel watched as a petite woman with dark hair pulled back in a twist stepped out.

 

“Here,”  he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.  She nodded and started in his direction.

 

“Castiel?”

 

He nodded and motioned for her to step into his home.

 

“I’m in pain,” he managed to tell her.  “Hard to talk.”

 

She was studying his face, no doubt inventorying his injuries.

 

“I hope nothing is broken.”

 

He shook his head but pointed at his mouth.

 

“Needed stitches.”

 

She winced in sympathy.  He jerked his head towards the kitchen and she followed him in.

 

“Dean.”

 

Dean turned around and smiled politely at the officer.

 

“Hey, I know you, don’t I?  We went to highschool together.  Maddie Howard, right?”

 

She smiled and nodded.  “That’s right.  Dean Winchester.  Or wait, it’s Campbell now, right?  Sorry, I’d forgotten about that.  It’s good to see you again.”

 

“Maddie here was a few years behind me, but she was a cheerleader and I was on the football team, so our paths crossed quite a lot,”  Dean explained to his boyfriend.  Cas nodded and took a seat at the table.

 

“Sorry, his mouth is killing him and I just got him to take a pain pill like ten minutes ago, so it hasn’t kicked in yet.”  Dean headed to the freezer and pulled out an ice pack.  After wrapping it in a dish towel he handed it over to Cas, who gingerly pressed it against his cheek.

 

“I had oral surgery once.  It was hell.  I can handle stitches anywhere _except_ my mouth,”  Maddie said.

 

“Yeah, had my wisdoms out 5 years ago and it was horrible,”  Dean agreed.  He motioned to the table.  “Please, sit down.”

 

Maddie sat adjacent to Cas and pulled out her notepad.  Cas could see his name written down in several places.  It was filled with her writing.

 

“What I need is to get a more detailed description of what happened to you last night.  Take your time, I understand that you’re in a lot of pain.”

 

Cas wished the pain medicine would kick in faster, but if it did, he’d get too sleepy.  Dean set a bowl of wild rice soup in front of him and a cup of tea.

 

“Less acidic.  Won’t hurt your mouth as much,”  Dean explained.

 

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

 

Dean had a cup of coffee, and he sat down across from Maddie.

 

“This works well since I need your statement as well,” she said.

 

“I’m happy to give it,”  Dean replied with a smile.

 


	18. Chapter 18

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

The next hour was spent going over in detail everything that was said, everything that happened to cause John to punch him, and exactly what his injuries were.  The pain meds did finally kick in full force and as the pain eased up, talking became easier.  So did catching his teeth on the swollen tissue or on the stitches themselves.  Dean had to grab a paper towel after Cas ended up with blood trickling out of his mouth.  

 

Once Maddie had left, he shined a flashlight inside Cas’ mouth to make sure none of the stitches had popped.  Satisfied that they had not, he waited for Cas to finish his soup and his tea, and then sent him back to bed.  As he was cleaning up, he heard keys in the front door.  Only two people that he knew of had keys, so it was either Gabe or Anna coming in.  He met them in the living room, wanting to make sure they remained quiet.  When Gabe stepped through the door, Dean quickly held up a finger to his own lips.

 

“Cassie’s sleeping?”

 

“His pain meds make him really sleepy so I sent him back to bed.  We had a police officer stop by this morning and it sort of wore him out,”  Dean explained.  Gabe closed the door and turned to face him.

 

“I spoke with an Officer Jacoby this morning.  How’s he doing?”

 

“He’s miserable.  His mouth is killing him,”  Dean replied.  “You want some coffee?”

 

“Please,”  Gabe replied.  They headed to the kitchen where Dean poured the man a cup of coffee.

 

“Did he eat?  Those meds will mess with his stomach if he doesn’t take some food in,”  Gabe said as he accepted the cup.  He went to the fridge and grabbed the creamer.

 

“I made him soup.  He can’t really do solids right now,”  Dean explained.

 

“I figured you’d be here, but I wanted to come and check on him.  Anna says Jeremy had to take over John’s sermons today.  Everything is still up in the air about next week.  All they know is that the elders had a meeting, but I guess no one else will know anything until they call a church congressional meeting.”  Gabe grabbed a spoon and stirred in the creamer he had just added before taking a sip.

 

“He’s a pillar of the community, and as much as I’d like to see him be stripped of his rights as a preacher and kicked out of the church, I highly doubt that will happen.”  Dean knew the council would take into account not only their opinions on John’s behavior, but they would take into consideration the opinions of the entire congregation as well as John’s influence on the city itself.  The likelihood of him being removed as the head preacher was slim.  Still, he worried about Jeremy’s career.

 

“Well, what I do know is that Jeremy’s job is secure.  It wasn’t like he swung at John first.  John was the aggressor here, and there were several members from the council right there, watching,”  Gabe said.

 

“Gabe?”

 

Cas came shuffling in the room, heading straight to the freezer to put his ice pack back.

 

“Hey, kiddo.  How are you feeling?  Pain meds helping?”  Gabe grimaced as Cas turned to face him and he saw the bruises that had blossomed across the man’s face, like sickening purple and yellow flowers.  He wanted to find John Winchester and punch him in his smug face.

 

“They’re working, but I have to be careful. Bit my cheek earlier,” Cas mumbled as he dropped into a chair at the table. Gabe and Dean joined him.

 

“Did you stop by just to check on me?”  Cas looked at his brother who nodded.

 

“I know they said you didn’t have any fractures, but I worry nonetheless.”

 

Cas offered a lopsided smile.  “Thank you.”

 

The buzzer rang again.

 

“Sit tight, I’ll get it.  Might be Anna or Lexi.”  Gabe got up to go see who was there.

 

“What do you think about watching a movie?  We can curl up, maybe make some hot cocoa, marathon something.  How does that sound?”  Dean asked as he ran his fingers through Cas’ hair.

 

“It’s summer,”  Cas chuckled.

 

“So?  Is there a rule saying you can’t have hot cocoa in the summertime?”  Dean cocked an eyebrow, making his boyfriend smile a little wider.

 

“Ok, hot cocoa sounds good.  Maybe we’ll watch one of the new shows on Netflix.  There are a couple I’ve been interested in seeing.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good.  There are a few that caught my interest too.  Would you like some more tea?”  Dean was already on his feet, starting the electric teapot again.  Cas nodded before getting up and wandering into the living room, surprised to see Sam standing there with Gabe, talking in low voices.  When Sam spotted him his eyes went wide, and he swallowed hard to hide his grimace.

 

“Hey, Cas. I was planning to stop by anyway, but Fergus sort of put together a little collection last night, and everyone pitched in some of their tips. Since I was already going to come and make sure you were doing ok, I volunteered to bring by this stuff.” Sam stepped forward with 2 bags in his hand.

 

“What is this?”  Cas was warmed that his friends (Fergus included) were thinking of him.  Opening the first bag he was delighted to find a gift basket from Starbucks, complete with a pound of coffee and 2 brand new mugs.  There was another, smaller gift basket with a variety of different tea flavors in it.  He definitely wanted to try one of those!

 

“Yeah, Cole said you’d go crazy for coffee and tea,”  Sam chuckled.

 

“I want Dean to make me this pomegranate one.”  Cas carried the bags into the kitchen.  Sam and Gabe followed.

 

“Oh, hey, Sammy,”  Dean greeted his brother.

 

“Make the pomegranate one in here, please?”  Cas handed the gift basket with teas over to his boyfriend.

 

“Yeah, sure.”  Dean took it and got it ready while Cas set the other gift basket on another counter.  He still had one bag in hand as he sat down at the table.

 

“How are you feeling?”  Sam asked as he and Gabe both sat down.

 

“I hurt, but pain meds are doing their job for the moment.”

 

Dean set the mug that had come with the teas down in front of him, freshly washed and filled with the pomegranate tea and honey.  Cas opened the other bag.  Normally he would have smiled wide but that hurt too much so he settled for a hand pressed to his chest in gratitude.

 

“What’s in the bag?  Did you bring the gift baskets?”  Dean asked his brother as he sat down.  Sam repeated what he had told Cas and Dean was humbled by their kindness.  Cas pulled a bear out of the bag dressed as a doctor, except it had cowboy boots on, and set it on the table.  Dean reached over to pick it up.

 

“This isn’t…”

 

“It’s based on my Doctor Sexy strip routine,”  Cas explained.

 

“TMI,”  Gabe muttered and took a gulp of his lukewarm coffee.

 

There was a card in the bag and he pulled that out too.  While everyone at the table talked amongst themselves, Cas opened the card and read it.  His eyes filled with tears as he read the Get Well Soon card.  It contained the signatures and well wishes of all of his former coworkers, and even Fergus.  Tucked inside was a sheet of paper.  It only took him a moment to realize what he was reading.

 

“Dean!  They bought me a vacation!”  He shoved the paper at his boyfriend, who smiled as he took it and read it over.

 

“Wow, I’m impressed.  Four day, three night stay in any Holiday Inn hotel!”  Cas exclaimed. “Can you take time off work? I want to go somewhere romantic, after my face has healed.  I’m afraid I’d be poor company in this state.”

 

“Of course, and we can go anywhere you want,”  Dean promised.

 

That made this whole ordeal just a little easier to cope with.


	19. Chapter 19

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

**_Patrick’s POV~_ **

 

_Patrick walked into the club Friday night in desperate need of a drink and some entertainment.  His work had sent him out of town for a series of conferences for 2 weeks, and the only thing he could think about was coming here and seeing James dance.  Looking around, he spotted familiar faces.  Even the new guy Shane was out dancing between the tables.  With a sigh he sat down at one of the free tables near the stage.  The place was at about half capacity tonight, but it was early.  A server appeared.  Cody was dressed up like a Greek god, his body coated in gold, a shield slung across his back._

 

_“What can I get you?”_

 

_“Rum and coke,”  Patrick replied._

 

_“Coming right up.”_

 

_He let his eyes wander over the room.  James must be going on first and was in back because he wasn’t anywhere out here.  A quick check of his watch told him it was 2 minutes until show time.  Just thinking about seeing James up there, hips gyrating, muscles flexing, was enough to get him hard.  Cody arrived with his drink and he slapped $20 on the table.  It was a signal to keep the drinks coming.  Cody left the money on the table for now.  He’d collect it later._

 

_The music started, and Patrick eagerly turned his attention to the stage.  The strobe lights were pulsing as he grabbed his drink, taking a sip from it.  He frowned when, instead of James, two of the girls came out on the stage.  Then Shane joined them.  They moved fluidly together and while the show was good, it wasn’t what he was here to see.  He took another look around the room.  Still no James.  Where the hell was he?_

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Cas was pissed.  Taking Sam’s advice, he pressed charges against John, but it didn’t seem to do much good.  The church kept him on, the council voting to keep him, but there were some strict stipulations. First, he was voted off the council. That didn’t go over well with the pastor, but he had no say.  Chuck, head elder, put his foot down, and that was that.  John was put on probation, and made to step down for the time being as the head pastor.  It was also a requirement that he attend therapy. Jody had stopped by to check up on Cas and had admitted she’d thought for sure John would quit with all of the rules they had set down for him. Unfortunately, he didn’t.  Cas was pissed and he felt awful, as though he were betraying his sister and brother-in-law when he told them that not only was he no longer going to drive for them on Wednesdays, he was also not attending service on Sunday mornings anymore. Anna had been disappointed, but thankfully, not in him.

 

Healing went quickly and soon Cas was feeling back to normal.  Not being able to kiss Dean the way he wanted had been agonizing, but a few weeks later everything was back to normal.  Well, Cas’ new normal, anyway.  There was time to kill until his new job started, and he used that to do some spring cleaning, spend time with his nieces and nephews, and fall even deeper in love with Dean.  Dean was spending more time at his condo and had graduated from keeping a duffel bag of extra clothes in the trunk of his car to keeping clothes in two drawers and in the closet.  Cas gave him a key, something he’d never done with a previous boyfriend, and now, most nights, Dean came to his place instead of heading back to the apartment he shared with Sam.  Between school and work, Sam was not home often and since he’d come to live with his brother again, Dean had come to realize that while Sam _liked_ being alone at home, Dean did not.  He felt at home at Cas’, so at his boyfriend’s insistence, he made himself more welcome.

 

The sex just seemed to get better every time.  Dean took every kink Cas had in stride and even introduced a few of his own.  He especially loved the look of Cas in panties.  Lace, satin, anything soft and silky, and he soon found himself with a rather large collection.  Because it made him feel sexier he decided waxing wasn’t _that_ bad, and he continued to get it done.  The feel of Dean’s hands sliding up smooth skin as he made his way to the edge of whatever panties Cas had worn that day was an incredible sensation.  He continued his workout regimen and returning from a run usually ended up with him getting tackled onto the bed before he could head to the shower.  Dean never seemed to care that he was sweaty after running, and if he didn’t mind, Cas certainly wasn’t going to complain.  

 

Mornings before Dean left for the garage were spent making love.  Sometimes slowly, sometimes with so much passion it left them both breathless.  It didn’t bother him that Dean was still not comfortable letting him top. He understood and would never push him to do something he wasn’t ready for. His love for Dean overpowered everything, and he was confident in the knowledge that Dean loved him too. He was a gentle, patient lover, pouring his affections into every touch, every kiss, every orgasm.  It was the best Cas had ever felt in his life, the moments where Dean was inside him, bodies pressed flush together, moving in sync with one another as they fell over the precipice into orgasm.  Dean always made it his mission to get Cas to come first.  He wasn’t satisfied unless he did and it would make him cranky until the next time they were in bed and he was able to achieve it.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

In July Anna and Jeremy brought the kids as planned, and Cas was thrilled when Dean stayed the entire time to help.  Predictably, the kids adored Dean and when their parents came to take them home, they cried.  They didn’t want to go home, they wanted to stay with their favorite uncle and Dean.  Anna was almost tempted to leave them.  Almost.

 

At the beginning of August Cas came home from a meeting at the university to the sound of laughter and music.  Stepping into the apartment he found Dean, Lexi, and a boy Cas had never seen before listening to a record player Cas had also never seen before and having a grand old conversation.  Dean glanced up and spotted him, grinning wide.

 

“Hey!  My hot doctor boyfriend is home!”

 

He stood up, coming around the couch to kiss Cas.

 

“What’s going on?”  Cas asked.

 

“Lexi came by with her boyfriend.  She wanted you to meet him.  I was educating them on the finer points of classic rock,”  Dean replied cheerfully.

 

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Cas smiled and turned his attention to his niece.  “So, who’s the beau?”

 

Lexi was beaming as she led the boy over to him.

 

“Uncle Cas, this is Todd, my boyfriend.  Todd, this is my favorite uncle in the world, Cas.”

 

“You’re really a doctor?” the young man asked as he shook Cas’ hand.

 

“I have the degree, but I teach future doctors. I don’t work in a hospital,”  Cas explained.

 

“I think that’s cool.  I’m only going to community college, but I’m in my second year now and I’m pulling straight A’s.  Getting my bachelor’s in computer sciences. I’m thinking of later getting my masters. My dad thinks it will better my chances of getting a higher paying job.”  Todd was saying.

 

“Can I ask, how old are you?”  Cas had more questions than that, like did his brother know his daughter had a boyfriend.

 

“I’m 19,”  Todd replied.  Cas loosened his tie and looked at his niece.

 

“And does your dad know you’re seeing someone?”

 

She looked away, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and pain.

 

“Not yet.  I wanted you to meet him first.  Your opinion is important.”

 

Cas kissed the top of her head.

 

“I am honored that you feel that way.  Do you plan to stay for dinner?”

 

“Yeah, sure.”  Todd shrugged and looked at Lexi, who was beaming as she nodded.

 

“Absolutely!”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

After changing into a tee shirt and shorts, Cas joined Dean in the kitchen.

 

“Hey, how did the meeting go?”  Dean asked as Cas came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

 

“Mmm, it was boring.  They wanted to make sure I knew what to expect for the coming semester and that I could implement the planned coursework.  I submitted my lesson plans already, but they want to do what they can to make me feel welcome and make sure I know that I have people I can turn to if I’m overwhelmed or find myself stressed.  I appreciate that.  Didn’t stop the entire meeting from being dull as nails though.”  Cas kissed the back of his neck before moving to stand beside him.  “What are we making for dinner?”

 

“I can whip up a lasagna in like, 15 minutes and it’ll be done in 45.  I’m not much feeling like burgers again, we just had those a few nights ago,”  Dean replied.

 

“Lasagna sounds great. And then maybe we can work off some of those calories later?” Cas batted his eyelashes and offered up a flirty smile.  Dean smiled and stopped spooning ricotta into a bowl long enough to kiss him again.

 

“I’m definitely up for some exercise later.”

 

“Did you grab the ground beef already?”  Cas asked as he started for the fridge.

 

“I decided to use ground turkey instead.  It’s healthier,”  Dean replied.  “It’s on the stove, but I haven’t started cooking it yet.”  

 

Cas moved over to the stove and got the raw meat into a frying pan.  The music was still playing in the living room, and they could hear Lexi and Todd talking.

 

“Where did the record player come from?”  Cas asked as he began to brown the meat.

 

“Well, I got to thinking, and I’m over here more than I am at my place, and I miss my music when I’m here, so I thought I’d bring my player and a few of my favorite records over here. That’s ok, right? I’m not being too presumptuous?”  Dean had been beating eggs into the ricotta but he stopped and looked up nervously.  “I don’t know what the protocol is here.  It’s been 4 months that we’ve been dating.  Do people do this kind of stuff?  Am I monopolizing too much of your time?  If I’m being a pain in the ass, you’ll tell me, right?”

 

Cas turned the burner down to its lowest and walked over to Dean.  He wrapped his arms around his waist and leaned in to kiss him.

 

“You think too much, you know that?  If I didn’t want you here as much as you are, you wouldn’t have a key.  I prefer the nights when you are here in my bed to the ones where I’m left to sleep alone.  It doesn’t feel fast to me.  We get along well, the sex is amazing, and I know that I love you.  You want your record player here, that’s fine by me.  I figured eventually, if things stay on the path they’re currently on, you might want to one day move in here.  From there we can move to the next step in our lives.  I don’t want to live in this condo forever. Someday I want a house, and kids, and everything that comes with that.  I’m hoping you’ll want those things too.  With me.”

 

Dean relaxed, a nervous chuckle slipping out.

 

“Yeah, I have some time before my lease is up.  We’ll talk then.  I definitely want a house.  With a big backyard, but ranch style, so it’s easier for Lexi to come visit.”

 

Cas felt a lump form in his throat.  Dean was being thoughtful and including his family in their future plans.  That meant the world to him.  He kissed Dean once more before turning back to the meat again.

 

“When is your lease up?”

 

“March.  I’m thinking Sam might want to take it over. He’s been less than subtle about it,” Dean replied as he started adding the non-cook noodles to the pan.

 

“Maybe a house somewhere between the university and the shop would work.  A little out in the country so I could have a garden,”  Cas mused.

 

“I like that.  But we might want to start looking now.  It’s not a quick process most of the time when it comes to house hunting.  We don’t have to pick one right away, but we could at least get an idea of what we like, what we don’t like, and narrow things down.  I’m not in a rush though.  Even if we don’t start looking until next year, I’m ok with that.”  Dean went back to mixing the egg and ricotta together while Cas returned to the stove and the meat that was waiting.

 

Dinner was pleasant as always, but especially so with Lexi and Todd there.  Both Cas and Dean liked him.  The question was, would _Gabe_?  Lexi raved over Dean’s lasagna.

 

“Sooo much better than the stuff my dad makes, and he’s a chef!”

 

Dean chuckled.  He appreciated the compliment, especially hearing he made something better than a chef.

 

“It’s my adopted mom’s recipe.  She’s a darn good cook too.”

 

“So.  Lex.”  Cas leveled his niece with a look that told her she wasn’t getting away with avoiding the topic of the boyfriend. She sighed and set her fork down.

 

“Yes?”

 

“When do you plan to tell your dad?” he asked.  She winced as she looked over at Todd.

 

“How does never sound?”

 

Cas clicked his tongue in disapproval.

 

“You can’t avoid him.  If you want him to treat you like the young adult that you seem so certain you are, then you need to act like one.”

 

“I know.”  She slouched in her chair and frowned.  “Could we do it here?  When you and Dean are home to act as buffers?  He listens to you guys.  If I try to explain anything he sees me like the little girl he still thinks I am.”

 

“Fine, but I’m not fighting my brother.  His word is final.  I will, however, try to talk sense into him if he goes over the deep end,” he told her.

 

“Ok!  Thank you!  When do you think we should do it?” she asked.  The sound of keys in the front door drew their attention, and Lexi inhaled sharply.

 

When Gabe walked into the kitchen Dean smirked at her.

 

“I think now is probably a good idea.”


	20. Chapter 20

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“Oh, am I interrupting?”  Gabe asked as he entered the room.  He eyed Todd before looking questioningly at his brother.  Cas of course nodded towards Lexi.

 

“No, did you eat?”  Dean asked as he got to his feet to grab another plate.

 

“Actually, no.  I was looking for Lex here to see if she wanted me to bring home some Chinese, but apparently she’s already been fed.  You weren’t answering your phone,”  Gabe said as he slid into the empty seat at the head of the table.

 

“Sorry, it died at work and I have it charging in the living room now,”  Lexi apologized.

 

“Who’s this?”  The way he said it told everyone at the table that it was a rhetorical question.  He wasn’t looking for Todd’s status, but instead, he was looking for a name.

 

“This is Todd.  Todd, this is my dad, Gabriel Novak.”  She twisted the edge of the paper towel in front of her, and Dean was a little impressed with the quality of them as it wasn’t tearing.  Yet.  He set a plate and fork down in front of Gabe and left him to help himself to the food.

 

“Uh huh. And I’m guessing Todd’s not a friend from school.” For normally being a really jovial guy, Gabe could be quite intimidating when he wanted to be.

 

Lexi looked pleadingly at her uncle but all he did was motioned with his fork towards her father.  This was up to her to do.

 

“No, Dad, we met at the Starbucks by my work.  He’s a barista there, and we got to talking about TV shows and video games and he asked me out.  I said yes and well, we’ve been dating for a few weeks now.  I like him, he’s super smart and really nice, and he’s earning a degree in computer sciences.”

 

Gabe used the flipper to grab a piece of the lasagna and put it on his plate without a word.  Cas knew what his silence meant.  This was the calm before the storm, and he really wished it wasn’t happening in _his_ home.  Dean sat with a forkful of lasagna poised halfway between his mouth and his plate, watching Gabe to see what he would say or do next.

 

“Dad?”  Lexi said his name very softly so when he slammed the flipper down on the table suddenly it startled everyone.

 

“What!  What do you expect me to say, Lex?  What is it that you want to hear?!”

 

Cas shared a worried look with Dean before deciding he needed to stop his brother before he had to forcefully kick him out.

 

“Gabe!  Get a hold of yourself!  It’s her first boyfriend, not the end of the world.”

 

“Says you!”  Gabe cried.  He seemed to realize how stupid that sounded and shook his head.  “It’s…It’s…”

 

“She’s growing up, dude.  What’s better, for her to have her first boyfriend while she’s living safe at home and you get to see the person she’s involved with and get to know them, or after she leaves for college and you have no idea who she’s dating or what she’s doing?”  Dean asked.  Gabe blinked, seeming to be surprised that the man was contributing to this conversation, but then his words sunk in.

 

“He’s right, you know.  You have the opportunity to get to know Todd here and see what Lexi likes so much about him.  So far, I know he likes video games and movies, and he wants to get his masters, and I learned all of that without blowing up at your daughter or him.”  Cas cocked an eyebrow at his brother, who looked ready to blow a blood vessel any moment.

 

“I…need a drink.  I’m not ready for this,”  Gabe muttered.

 

“That’s not the kind of example you want to set now, is it?”  Dean asked.  Gabe shot him a withering look before getting up to fish a beer out of the fridge.

 

“I rarely drink,” he pointed out as he dropped back into his chair.

 

“Dad, I like Todd.  A lot.  He really is nice.”  Lexi was pleading with her dad to understand.  Cas knew he just wasn’t ready for his little girl to grow up.

 

“I’m sure you’re a wonderful young man, Todd.  How old are you anyway?”

 

“N-nineteen, sir.”  Todd was at least polite.  Poor kid looked terrified though.

 

“Nineteen.  Fucking hell.”  Gabe muttered.  The buzzer rang, and Cas got up to go answer it.

 

“No one is allowed to kill anyone while I’m gone.”

 

“I make no promises,”  Gabe shot back.

 

Cas rolled his eyes as he headed to the intercom.  Flipping on the camera he could see Sam standing there.  God he hoped Gabe didn’t pick a fight with him too.

 

“Hey, Sam.  I’ll buzz you in.”

 

Sam looked up at the camera and nodded.  Cas hit the buzzer and once he was sure Sam was through the door, let it go and turned the camera off.  He opened the front door a few inches and left it that way before returning to the kitchen.  Sam was here often enough that he knew to let himself in.  When he returned to the kitchen he saw Gabe was at least being civil towards Todd, asking him about his studies, his life goals, and his grades.  It was a relief.  When Sam walked in, he froze, clearly surprised to see such a full house.

 

“You hungry?”  Dean asked him.

 

“No, thanks, I ate.  Is there room for me to at least sit though?”

 

“I have the extra chair in my study.  Hold on.”  Cas left to retrieve the chair, and when he came back he set it at the other end of the table, opposite Gabe.

 

“So you’re dating Lexi?”  Sam was already joining in on the conversation, ignoring the grim look on her father’s face.

 

“Yeah.  Um, I don’t know that she mentioned you though. I’m sorry,”  Todd said.

 

“Dean’s my brother.”

 

“Oh, gotcha.”

 

Cas grabbed a beer from the fridge and set it down in front of Sam who smiled as he accepted it.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Don’t you have work tonight?”  Cas asked.

 

“No, I switched some hours with Jake.  Uh, Patrick’s still coming around.  Keeps harassing people to find out what happened to you.  Thought he was going to blow a gasket when Cole told him you retired.”  Sam took a drink from his bottle.  “That’s part of why I came by.   I wanted to let you know that Patrick has been seen following some of the staff and harassing them outside of the club.”

 

“Let’s go to my study.  This isn’t something I want to talk about in front of the kids,”  Cas got up and Sam did too.  Dean and Gabe stood up as well.

 

“I’m not sitting out when it’s my boyfriend being stalked.”

 

“Neither am I.  I want to know what the hell is going on,”  Gabe added.

 

“Fine.  My study.  Now,”  Cas told them.

 

Leaving Lexi and Todd at the table, everyone else made the trek to Cas’ second bedroom/study.  Once they were all inside and the door was closed, Cas filled his brother in.

 

“So you know I was at the club for seven years.  Roughly three years ago this guy comes in.  Stood out because he’s not American, he’s Irish, brogue and all.  He didn’t bother me at first, but I guess I must have caught his attention.  If you remember, I told you there was this guy that kept cornering me, flirting, and eventually it turned to mild harassment?  The bouncers, and everyone else for that matter, started doing what they could to keep him away from me.  When I was dating Balthazar, he figured it out and started doing shit to piss him off and make him jealous.  I don’t know what exactly he said, because Balth never would tell me.  All I know is it was enough to tear what we had apart.  

 

“When I met Dean, he homed in almost immediately that I was interested in him, and so the first night I invited Dean down to the club, of course he was there and he tried to tick Dean off and make him not want me too.  Except it didn’t work.  He kept bugging me, but not as much as he wanted to because Victor and the other bouncers kept him away.  My last night, I invited Dean down to watch.  I was sort of covered in love bites.”  He cast a look in his boyfriend’s direction, which just made Dean smile sheepishly and Gabe cringe.

 

“Get on with it.  What do love bites have to do with it?” his brother asked.

 

“Well, I was covered in them, and we kept foundation in the back to cover up stuff like that.  So, I applied it to mine.  Used half the damn bottle.  And I thought it was covering them ok,”  Cas said.

 

“It wasn’t.  Even in that lighting, from where I sat at the back, it looked like there were discolorations all over.”  Dean piped up, his cheeks red still with embarrassment.

 

“Uh huh,”  Gabe said dryly as he side-eyed Dean.

 

“Well, not surprising, Patrick snagged one of the tables near the stage.  He would do that so he could be up close to stare at me. It was super unnerving. I got in the habit of avoiding looking at him because he made me so uncomfortable. So that close up…he could see the marks, and shit, the look on his face, I thought he might kill Dean for putting them on me.  I told Fergus though, backstage, and he told me to take Dean and get out of there. They distracted Patrick until long after we had left so he wouldn’t follow us.”  Cas shuddered at the memory.  Patrick had such a black hatred in his eyes as he glared at Dean that he had feared for his boyfriend’s safety that night.  And now the creep was harassing his friends to get to him.

 

“Well, I’ll talk to my professors, see what they recommend as a course of action.  He hasn’t threatened you, hasn’t shown up at your home, hasn’t proven to be following you directly, so I don’t think you can file for a restraining order. Yet. If this continues though, I think you’ll have grounds.”  Sam had his lawyer hat on.  His arms were crossed, and he had one hand leaning against his chin as he tried to figure out the best course of action.

 

“Is it safe to stay in this area then?  Shouldn’t you move?”  Gabe asked.

 

“And go where, exactly?  I have a job that’s about to begin, my house is here, my family is here, my _boyfriend_ is here, and so is his business.  Running really isn’t an option,”  Cas replied.

 

“We’re watching him down at the club,”  Sam said.  “And Fergus has instructed everyone to leave in pairs or larger groups.  With this new harassment, though, he’s ready to ban Patrick for life.”

 

“Good.  Took him long enough,”  Dean grumbled.

 

“He was bound by law, Dean.  You can’t just go randomly banning people from your place of business without cause or they can sue.  This guy stays just enough under the radar so there has never been grounds to call the cops on him.  Until now,”  Sam explained.  “It’s not as black and white as one would hope.  Patrick, unfortunately, has rights too.”

 

“Well, there’s a reason Cassie danced over an hour away from where he lives.  He didn’t want stalkers following him home,”  Gabe said.

 

“And it’s why I bought this place.  There are added security measures beyond just buzzing people in and the camera at the door.  There is 24/7 security on staff, deadbolts on the front and back doors, locks on all the windows, even this high up, and I do have an alarm system.  I just haven’t had cause to use it. I think maybe I should start though.” Cas leaned against Dean, who quickly wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him closer.

 

“I’m moving in too.  No asshole is getting to Cas, ever.”

 

“You’re moving out of the apartment?  When?  The lease still has seven months.”  Sam said, though he was only mildly surprised.

 

“I was going to wait til the lease was up.”  Dean seemed unsure now.  What the hell was up with this Patrick guy?  Was he not right in the head or something?

 

“You don’t get it, none of you.  Patrick won’t hurt me.  He’ll hurt the people that get in his way.  Mainly Dean.”  Cas pressed in closer and wrapped both arms around his boyfriend’s waist.

 

“Well, sucks to be him because I’m not going anywhere.  I’m not giving up on us, Cas.  Not for the sake of some psycho, not for anything,”  Dean kissed Cas’ forehead tenderly, earning a soft smile from the man.

 

“Is he dangerous though?  Do we even know for sure that he’s a threat?”  Gabe asked.  The others all shrugged.

 

“I think there is potential.  He cornered me last week and demanded to know where Cas had gone.  I repeated what Cole had said, that he had retired and that I was his replacement.  He actually snarled at me, and I thought for a moment he was going to try and hit me.  I wish he had, so we could have had him banned on the spot and called the cops to come deal with that,”  Sam said.

 

“Are you safe?”  Gabe asked, his brow furrowing as he looked up at him.  Sam could see the concern in his eyes.  So maybe he wasn’t the dick he’d initially thought.

 

“I’m ok.  I walk out with either Cole, Victor, or Jake most nights.  The night he cornered me I was walking some of the girls out, but Victor saw him bugging me and all but dragged him back inside until we had all left.”

 

“No, that’s not good enough.  What if he follows you one night?  You’ll be all alone in that apartment, and do you even have an alarm?”  Gabe was worrying.  Sam reached out to place a hand on the man’s arm to try and ground him.

 

“Gabe, it’s ok.  I’m bigger than Patrick.  He’s not foolish enough to touch me.  Besides, I have a conceal carry permit.  I’m packing at all times.  Except when I’m dancing.”

 

The older man pursed his lips in disapproval.  It clearly wasn’t good enough for him.  Cas knew how his brother was.  His nature, with two younger siblings, was to be protective.  This time, though, it threw him because he was attracted to Sam, and Cas knew he didn’t want to be.

 

“Ok, so I’ll start setting the alarm, and I think…”   Cas turned to Dean.  “I want to trade in my car.  Patrick unfortunately has seen what I drive.  I’d like to get something newer.”

 

This time it was Dean that pursed his lips.  A newer car?  Not what he would have chosen.  Cas cocked an eyebrow at him in question.

 

“Fine.  I know people.  We’ll get you a new car.”

 

Cas smiled and nodded.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“I think you need to be careful.  Does anyone know what this guy does for a living?”  Gabe asked.  Cas shook his head.  So did Sam.

 

“I never wanted to know.  I wasn’t aiming to be his friend or his lover.”  Cas said.  Dean tensed, and he placed a hand against his boyfriend’s chest to soothe him.

 

“Well, hopefully he lives around the club somewhere and not anywhere around here,”  Gabe said.

 

“So, new car, alarm here, and being careful.  At least until this guy proves to be the psycho he really is, and the police can lock him away.”  Dean waited for Cas to look up and acknowledge him.  “It would destroy me if anything happened to you,” he added softly.  Cas’ fingers curled around the fabric of Dean’s shirt and held on tightly to it.

 

“I’m not letting him or anyone else hurt you either.  I’m sure he’ll move on and life will go back to normal.”  It had to.  He wasn’t going to let some asshole like Patrick frighten him into hiding.  They all had lives to live, and nothing was going to get in the way of that.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

When they returned to the kitchen, Lexi and Todd were talking sweetly in low voices and feeding one another bites of pie.

 

“Hey, you ate my pie?”  Dean complained as he returned to his seat.  Cas laughed and kissed the top of his head.

 

“There’s plenty left.  Plus there are two in the freezer that I made you last week, remember?  Be nice and share, honey.”

 

Dean grumbled as he finished his now cold lasagna and then grabbed himself a piece of pie.  Even Sam accepted the slice Cas offered him.  Gabe did too, but he was unusually quiet, something his daughter was hyper aware of.

 

“You ok, Dad?  Are you still upset about Todd?”

 

“No, honey.  You’re growing up; I get that.  You’ll date, you’ll break up, you’ll get your heart broken a few times, that’s life.  I have more important things that I’m worried about,” he said absently.  She looked at her uncle, who seemed a lot less concerned.  But Sam was watching her dad, albeit somewhat discreetly.  It was all making her incredibly curious, but if they left the room to talk, they weren’t about to share with her.  So much for them finally starting to think she was growing up.


	21. Chapter 21

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Dean’s move into the condo was done the following weekend, and he’d taken a few more precautionary measures.  Cas soon learned that he took protection very seriously.  He also learned that Gabe had been bugging him to do more to keep Cas safe.  And so, before Cas started actually teaching, Dean had arranged for him to trade in his Lincoln Town Car (the same car he’d bought out of high school and had lovingly taken care of all these year) and upgraded to a Nissan Pathfinder.  Dean installed external and internal cameras that could be controlled from the car but also from an app on Cas’ phone. He installed a camera over the back door and reinforced the locks on the front and back doors. Cas thought he was going a little overboard, until Sam had brought news of an assault and rape a few blocks from the club the first week of September. That was enough to scare Cas.  Even if the dancer, a new girl by the name of Amelia, didn’t know who had attacked her, 0r even if it was Patrick at all, they both felt there was no harm in being careful.

 

Cas’ job was wonderful.  His first week was a little stressful but the second week went much better.  He enjoyed the grading but more than that, he enjoyed the actual lectures.  For his birthday, Dean bought him three brand new suits so he looked sharp as he paced in front of his students teaching them the various parts of the vascular system and the nervous system.  This was what he had wanted to do since he was a little boy, and he was the happiest person in the world.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The day before they were set to leave and visit Bobby and Karen, Cas came home from work to find the living room filled with candles.  He was fairly certain they didn’t own that many, but he was definitely sure that before he’d gone to work that morning there had not been roses in the house.  There was a gorgeous bouquet sitting on the coffee table but what intrigued him most were the petals on the floor that led a path straight to their bedroom.  As much as he wanted to follow it, he first stripped out of his coat and removed his shoes.  He walked over to the bouquet and bent down to smell them.  They were beautiful, velvety soft to the touch and putting out the most wonderful fragrance.  There was a card attached that he removed and opened.

 

_‘Hey gorgeous.  Bet you weren’t randomly expecting this, right?  I have a couple of surprises for you.  Meet me in the bedroom.’_

_D~_

 

Cas was definitely intrigued.  Loosening his tie, he made his way to the bedroom.  Soft music was playing and the lights were subdued, casting a red glow across the room.  He realized that was due to a sheer, red scarf that had been laid over the lamp on the nightstand nearest the door.  The rose petals led a path straight to the bed where they were strewn across it.  A bottle of champagne sat in a bucket smack in the center with two glass flutes.

 

“Dean?  What is this?”

 

His boyfriend was nowhere to be seen, as far as he could tell.  He walked over to the bed, picking up one of the petals and rubbing it between his fingers.  They were incredibly soft.

 

“Dean?”

 

He felt it when his boyfriend walked in the room.  Suddenly the air became charged.  Before he could turn around, strong arms came up around his waist and pulled him back against a firm chest.

 

“What is this?  It’s not our anniversary, and it’s not Valentine’s Day.”  Cas turned his head enough that he could look back at Dean.

 

“Mmm, I didn’t know I needed a reason to spoil you.”

 

“You don’t, but you may have to up your game for Valentine’s Day, or a proposal.”  Cas’ heart began to race.  “This isn’t-”

 

“No, baby, it’s not.  Disappointed?”  Dean nuzzled against his ear, making him shiver.

 

“I’m not sure.”  Cas laughed.  “Part of me thinks it’s way too soon, and a part of me argues that I already know I want to spend my life with you.  So I’m just going to not think too hard about that.”

 

Dean chuckled and hugged him tighter.

 

“I’ve argued with myself exactly those two points.  But…this is something different, and I felt it was worth some romance.  Maybe I’m cheesy for doing it, but I don’t care.  I love you.”

 

Cas turned around in his arms and kissed him.

 

“You can be as romantic as you like.  Though I think I need to up _my_ game now.”

 

“Nah, you’re amazing, and I love every single thing you do for me.”

 

“Even when I tried to wash your white shirts for work and accidentally turned the load gray?”

 

Dean rolled his eyes affectionately.

 

“Ok, one exception.  But that was an easy fix.  I bought two packs of new shirts and all's right with the world again.”

 

“Hmm, so what, pray tell, is this special occasion?  Not that I mind.  I’m always up for romantic gestures, and I love the idea of drinking champagne right off your skin.  But what is this?”

 

“Off my skin?  Hot.”  Dean teased.  When Cas rolled his eyes he leaned in to kiss him.  “I have something I, uh, wanted to do with you.  Something that means a lot to me.”  Dean tensed, Cas could feel it.  Whatever this was, it was a big deal to Dean, therefore it was a big deal to him too.  He brought his arms up and around Dean’s neck, pulling him in closer.

 

“If it’s important to you, it’s important to me too.  So tell me.”

 

Dean took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

 

“I, uh, wanted…”  He swallowed hard.  “For you to top.”  The last part came out in a rush.  Cas could feel how his heartbeat sped up where his arm was pressed against the artery in Dean’s neck.  His beautiful, strong, amazing boyfriend was scared.  This was handing over control, something he didn’t do easily.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“I trust you,”  Dean said, this time with conviction.

 

“If you’re not ready-”

 

“I’m ready.”  Dean stepped back and Cas dropped his arms, waiting to see what he would do.

 

Dean stared at him for a long moment before stripping his tee shirt off and tossing it aside.  When he reached for his belt, Cas gently pushed his hands away.  He did it himself, unbuckling it and then pulling it through the loops of Dean’s pants.  With quick, nimble fingers, Cas opened the button and zipper before pushing the jeans down Dean’s legs.  His boyfriend preferred to wear tight boxer briefs and he loved the way Dean looked in them but this time, he was sans underwear.  His skin smelled fresh and Cas realized he must have come home early from work, showered and gone through all of the preparations needed.  He stripped off his own suit jacket and tie, letting them drop to the floor to join Dean’s clothes.  As he started on the buttons to his shirt, he began backing up towards the bed.

 

‘Still want to see what I have planned for the champagne?”  He flirted, smiling coyly as he let the shirt fall down over one shoulder.  Even with the distance between them he could see the way Dean’s eyes darkened.  He let the shirt fall to the floor and then started on his pants.

 

“Did you wear any today?”  Dean asked.  Cas wished he had, but he didn’t feel comfortable wearing panties at work.  He bit his lower lip and shook his head.

 

“I’m sort of not comfortable wearing them at work.  But I can put some on now.”

 

Dean thought for a moment.

 

“No.  I don’t want you to.  I want those for when I’m in control.  So I can take my time enjoying them.”

 

Cas smiled and pushed his pants down his legs, shoving his socks off too.  When not wearing the lacy panties Dean loved on him, he either went commando or wore boxers.  When he went to work, he definitely wore boxers.  Today he was wearing a pair Dean had bought him.  It had been a gag gift since he loved to use emojis when he texted, so Dean had given him a pair with the emoji smiley face all over them.  There was a twinkle in Dean’s eye and a smile playing on his lips.

 

“Still amused by these, I see.”  Cas smiled back.

 

“Always.  You look adorable in them.”

 

Cas snorted and shoved them down.

 

“But you look infinitely better with nothing at all on.”  Dean’s voice was husky as he started walking towards him.

 

“Come here, gorgeous.”  Cas held out his arms, and Dean slipped easily into them.  They kissed slow, hands sliding eagerly over skin, fingers digging into hips and pulling one another closer.

 

Cas finally pulled back, trying to catch his breath.  He turned to the bed and reached for the bucket with the champagne while Dean pulled the comforter with the roses back.

 

“Lay down.”  Cas told him.  Dean knelt on the bed and crawled across it until he was able to lay down with his head against the pillows.  Cas grabbed the champagne and the bottle of lube before joining him on the bed.

 

Dean watched as Cas opened the bottle and positioned himself between his legs.  Tilting the bottle slightly, he poured some of the bubbly liquid onto Dean’s chest.

 

“Fuck!  That’s cold!”

 

Cas smiled as he leaned down, replacing the cold of the champagne with the heat of his tongue.  Dean let out a small gasp as Cas continued to dribble the champagne lower and lower until it pooled in Dean’s belly button.  He dipped his tongue in, lapping it up, smiling to himself at the way Dean moaned and arched up off the bed.

 

“Mmm, don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed champagne this much.”  He teased as he lifted the bottle to his lips and took a sip.

 

“Guess we didn’t really need the glasses,”  Dean joked.

 

“Guess not,”  Cas grinned.  He leaned over Dean so he could pour some into his mouth.

 

“It’s really good.”  Dean said after swallowing.

 

“It really is.”  Cas agreed as he set the bottle on the night stand.  Once he was back between Dean’s legs he grabbed the bottle of lube.

 

“We still a go?” he asked.  Dean nodded.

 

“Hell yeah.”

 

Cas smirked.  Dean was hard, leaking pre-come all over his own stomach, and he couldn’t resist darting his tongue out to taste.  It mixed with the champagne, causing an interesting sweet and salty taste in his mouth.  As he picked up the bottle of lube, he licked a stripe up the underside of Dean’s cock.

 

“F-fuck, babe!”  Dean hissed.

 

Cas poured some of the lube on his fingers and as he swallowed down as much of Dean’s cock as he could, he slid one finger in.  Dean bent his legs at the knee and let them fall open to give him better access.  He worked a finger in slowly, watching for any sign that Dean might want him to stop but he was moaning, back arching off the bed, lower lip trapped between his teeth and it was probably the most beautiful thing Cas had ever seen.  He slipped a second finger in and began opening him up.

 

“Still ok?”  he checked.

 

“Y-yes.  I can take more,”  Dean panted.

 

Cas didn’t doubt that he could, but he still took his time, stretching him as much as he could with two fingers before adding a third.  By the time he had Dean opened as much as he could, the man was a needy, begging mess.

 

“Come on, Cas!  Fuck, I need you…”

 

Cas pulled off his cock, where he’d been slowly, lazily licking and sucking, not enough to make him come, but enough to drive him close to the edge.  He poured more of the lube in his hand and used it to stroke his own length.  Dean handed him one of the pillows and lifted his hips so Cas could put it under him.  He understood.  While Dean did trust him, he still needed to do this face to face.

 

“I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

 

“I didn’t ask for gentle, babe.  I want you to fuck me like you mean it.  Show me how much you want me,”  Dean demanded.  Cas’ own eyes darkened as he hooked his hand under one knee and lifted one of Dean’s legs up.

 

“If that’s what you want, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.”

 

Despite the heat behind his words, Cas moved slowly as he pushed in.  The last thing he wanted was for Dean to tell him this was the only time he’d let him top.  He wanted this to be good for them both.  Inch by inch he slid farther in until he was flush against Dean.

 

“J-just…give me a sec.”

 

He swallowed hard, not wanting to come before he could really get this started.  Once he knew he could move without blowing his load, he grabbed Dean under his other knee, hooking both over his shoulders.  He pulled back until only the tip was still in, and with a smooth, fluid movement, slid back in.  Dean gasped, his hands grasping at the sheets as Cas began to move.  His thrusts started off slowly, aiming for pleasure rather than rushing to climax.

 

“Shit, babe, you feel so damn good.”  Dean reached for him and Cas let his legs fall to the side so he could lean down and kiss him.  As he slid his tongue into Dean’s mouth, he increased his speed, thrusting faster, feeling the way Deans nails dug into his back, pulling him down tighter.  He wrapped his legs around Cas and forced him in deeper.

 

“Harder!”  Dean begged.  Cas did as asked, his hips beginning to piston faster and faster until he was slamming into Dean.  The moans of pleasure coming from his boyfriend’s lips had Cas so close.  There was a delicious heat building, but he was loathe to come first.  Instead he reached a hand down between them and took Dean’s cock in hand.  It took a concentrated effort to keep his strokes in time with his thrusts but thankfully it didn’t take long before Dean was screaming his name as he came.  He clenched down around Cas’ length and it only took another few thrusts before he was falling over the edge of his own orgasm.

 

With a long, low moan Cas collapsed on top of him.

 

“You are amazing, sweetheart.”  Dean spoke softly as he ran his fingers through Cas’ sweat damp hair.  “That was fantastic.”

 

Cas chuckled, barely able to keep his eyes open.

 

“Yeah?  I was so scared I’d hurt you.”

 

“No, baby, you did everything right.”  Dean shifted him so that Cas was lying on his side next to him.  He turned to face him and pressed a tender kiss to each of Cas’ eyelids.  “I look forward to doing that again.  If you’re up for it.”

 

Cas hummed and smiled.  His blue eyes fluttered open and met Dean’s.

“I would like that.  I’m out of practice.”

 

“How long has it been since you last topped?”  Dean asked.  Cas thought for a moment.

 

“I was twenty two.  It feels like forever ago.  I enjoy it though.”

 

“Well, we’ll definitely be doing this again.  Sooner rather than later.”

 

Cas smiled happily.  That was the best thing he’d heard all day.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Sam was able to cut back on his hours at the club and double his course load.  Since Cas had left, he and Cole were the new favorites and their tips were phenomenal.  Cole and his wife finally got around to baptizing Tommy, and Cas found he had a new godson.  He doted on the baby just as he did his other godchildren, and Dean did too.  The more time he spent with Dean, the more he knew this was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.  Their lives were perfect, and things were only getting better.


	22. Chapter 22

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“Dean?”  Cas came home the third week in December, the last day before winter break, exhausted and ready for his vacation to start.

 

“In here!”

 

Cas had already hung up his coat and scarf as well as slipping off his shoes as soon as he had walked in the door so he was padded down the hall, following the sound of music spilling out of their bedroom.  When he arrived he found Dean pacing the room, bouncing a very sleepy Luke in his arms.

 

“Oh, do we have a visitor?”  He walked over and Dean paused in his pacing so he could interact with Luke.

 

“Gilda’s asthma is being aggravated by her bronchitis, so Charlie took her to the hospital.  We have this little monkey for the night,”  Dean explained.

 

“Will she be ok?”  Cas asked worriedly.

 

“Oh, yeah, this isn’t the first time she’s gotten sick.  They go the ER about once every winter when she gets bronchitis.  I expect Charlie will text me by morning.  Bub here is tired but won’t go to sleep.  He needs a nap so I can go and get dinner started.”

 

Cas held his hands out.  “Give him here.”

 

Dean passed the fussy baby over, smiling when he rubbed his eyes and buried his face against Cas’ chest.  He handed over the baby’s pacifier before kissing Cas on the forehead.

 

“I’ll be in the kitchen.”

 

Cas nodded and moved over to the bed to sit down.  Luke wasn’t fussing much, so Dean took that as a good sign and went to get dinner started.  Since they had moved in together he had started leaving work earlier so he could get home to make dinner before Cas’ office hours ended at six.  Having Charlie call to ask if he could swing by and pick up Luke only threw his schedule off by a half hour.  But then the little booger wouldn’t go down for his nap.  He was glad Cas was home to help.

 

Dean decided on something easy and made roast beef sandwiches and home fries.  He put a salad together and was just setting the table when Cas walked in.  He had changed into sweatpants and one of Dean’s tee shirts, and he was sans baby.

 

“Where’s Luke?”  Dean inquired as he set a pitcher of iced tea on the table.

 

“Asleep.  I used a technique I learned from Cole’s wife and used on Anna’s kids.  I put him tummy down on one of the pillows after laying it across my legs, stuck his pacifier in his mouth and patted his butt til he fell asleep.  Took about five minutes.”  Cas replied as they sat down to eat.  While Dean dished out sandwiches, he poured them both tea.

 

“So he’s in his pack and play now?”

 

“Yep.  I’m sure he’ll be awake in about a half hour.  If not, that’s when I’m waking him up because otherwise, he won’t go to sleep tonight,”  Cas said.

 

“How was work?”  Dean asked.

 

“Good.  Kids were happy to get out for break, and so am I.”  Cas replied with a chuckle.  “My last class of the day practically bolted out the door.”

 

Dean snorted and shook his head.  “I’m not surprised at all.  So, we have two weeks.  What are we going to do outside of Christmas?  Christmas Eve we’re spending with your family and Christmas Day we’re spending here with Sam, Charlie, Gilda, and Luke.  And I think Gabe said he and Lexi will come for that too.  But what else did you want to do?”

 

“Mmm, there’s a party at the university that I’ve been invited to.  Family is invited too, so I would like you to go with me.”  Cas’ blue eyes were watching him, waiting for an answer.

 

“Yeah, of course.  Is it formal?  Semi-formal?  What should I wear?”

 

Cas smiled, happy with his answer.  “I’ll be wearing a button down and dress pants with a tie, but I’ll be adding a Christmas sweater over it.  You can wear something similar.”

 

“That’s fine, I’m sure I can find something in the closet.”  Dean was actually looking forward to the party and getting to meet all of Cas’ new friends and coworkers.  He’d been talking about introducing him to them for a while now.

 

After dinner Cas went to wake Luke and by the time Dean had cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher, Cas was coming into the kitchen.

 

“Someone feels better.”  He bounced the baby on his hip and smiled at the grin he received.  “I see more of you all the time.  He’s going to be such a handsome young man.”  Cas tickled the baby’s belly, which made Luke squirm as he burst into giggles.

 

“His hair isn’t quite as red as Charlie’s anymore either.  It’s more of a strawberry blonde now.  He’s a good looking kid.”  Dean kissed the top of the baby’s head.  He smelled like baby powder.  “I want kids someday.  I’ll always love Luke and I’ll always be in his life, but I want my own kids too.”

 

“I’d like that too.”  Cas had come to love Luke just as he loved Anna’s kids and Lexi.  He loved Cole’s children too, but one day, he definitely wanted a couple of his own.

 

“Not right now though.  You’re building your career still, and I’m thinking of expanding and opening a second shop.  But maybe after we have a house and get it just the way we like.”  Dean held his tongue before adding his other thought.  Marriage had been on his mind.  He felt it was a bit too soon, but someday he wanted to propose.  Maybe the following summer.

 

“That would be wonderful.  We’ll have enough to go with adoption or surrogacy.  I want a sweet little boy, just like Luke.  Aren’t you just the sweetest little boy?”  Cas cooed, and Luke gave another gummy smile.

 

“Come on, your Desperate Housewives is coming on in ten,”  Dean kissed Cas before heading for the living room.

 

“Hey, you like it too, don’t deny it.”  Cas teased as he followed after him.

Dean scoffed.  “Lies, it’s all lies!”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Dean looked sharp in his suit.  He’d forgone the tie and opted to leave the top few buttons of his shirt open, and Cas could barely keep his hands off him.  He kept sliding his hands up under Dean’s jacket and grabbing his butt, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so much.  That was fine at the house, but now that they were at the university, Cas forced himself to behave.  He settled for holding Dean’s hand as they entered the conference room that had been converted for the party.  It was the largest one the school had and as he looked around, he spotted several teachers from his department.  Most he did not know as they taught other subjects in other areas of the school, but he figured he had time.  Eventually he’d get to know more of them.

 

Leading Dean towards a group in the corner, he pointed the people out.

“This is Michael Milton, he teaches Cellular Biology.  Becky Rosen teaches Embryology and Biochemistry.  She might flirt, just a warning.  Doug Richmond teaches Genetics and Biochemistry.  Michael and Doug are both very nice.  I’m guessing the ladies with them are their wives.”

 

“Michael’s the tall guy, dark hair?”  Dean asked.

 

“Yep.  And Doug’s in the reindeer sweater.”

 

Michael spotted them and smiled wide.

 

“Cas!  Glad to see you could make it.  Who’s this?”

 

“This is my partner, Dean.”

 

Michael turned to Dean and offered his hand.

 

“I believe he has mentioned you once or fifty times.”  He winked at Cas, who laughed.  “But seriously, it’s nice to meet you, Dean.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you too.”  Dean shook his hand and then Doug’s.

 

“This is my wife Amy, Becky, who also teaches here, but I’m sure Cas told you that already, and Doug’s wife, Susan.”  Mike pointed each of the ladies out. Becky’s eyes were bright and full of excitement. It was almost unnerving.

 

“Cas tells us you’re a mechanic, have a shop in Westmont.  I’ll have to bring Sue’s car in, the place we usually go to in Whiting couldn’t even do a simple brake change without messing it up. Won’t be going back there,” Doug said.

 

“Bring it on in any time.  I’ll give you a free estimate,”  Dean offered.

 

They launched into a conversation about work both Michael and Doug wanted to have done to their cars.

 

“So, are you enjoying yourself?”  Amy asked Cas.

 

“Actually, yes.”  He was so far.

 

“They do parties like this a few times a year, but the Christmas one is the big one,” she explained.  “It’s a night away from the kids for us, so I am always eager to get here.”

 

That had Cas chuckling.

 

“I’m sure.”

 

“Do you and Dean have children?” she asked.  Sue and Becky, who so far had stayed quiet, despite her penetrating stare, both gravitated closer, apparently eager to hear his answer.

 

“Not yet.  We’re working first on getting a house.  Then we have a few other plans we want fulfilled, but it’s something we both want,” he explained.

 

“You and Dean would have beautiful babies.”  Becky said, her voice wistful, as if she were trying to picture it.  Cas cocked an eyebrow.

 

“Yes, well, we can’t exactly have one between us.  But we’re considering surrogacy.  I may ask my sister for eggs, or something like that.  We haven’t talked about that in detail.”

 

“Have you been together long?”  Sue asked.

 

“Since April, but I knew shortly after we’d met that he was special.  Now I believe he’s the one.  I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love him.”  He looked to where Dean was deep into a conversation with Michael and Doug about an engine he was rebuilding.  There was passion in his voice and it held both of the teachers’ interest as he turned out to be the one educating them.  Cas couldn’t help but smile.

 

Sue brought up his classes and asked him how he was enjoying teaching.  That lit a fire in him and he talked animatedly about his classes, his students, and what his plans for future subject matter was.  It turned out that Sue was a nurse and Amy taught high school biology so they both understood, for the most part, what he was talking about.  Becky jumped in too, talking about what she taught and how it related to his courses.  All in all it was a pleasant conversation.

 

Eventually they moved on to another group of teachers Cas knew, and the pleasantries continued.  After all that talking though, they were both thirsty and made their way over to where there were caterers offering food and drink.  Dean got them both a Sprite and a plate with some cheese and crackers.  They hadn’t been sure if food was going to be served so they had eaten before coming.

 

“Are you enjoying yourself?”  Cas asked.

 

“I am.  Seriously, I didn’t really think I’d have much to contribute to a conversation with teachers, especially ones that are doctors, but most of them are really down to earth and easy to talk to.  Plus, you talk about what you teach so much and I’ve taken a look at some of the textbooks you bring home, so I have a better grasp on the subject matter than I ever did in high school,”  Dean replied honestly.  “I like what you teach.  It’s fascinating.”

 

Cas smiled.  Dean really was perfect.  Something over his boyfriend’s shoulder caught his attention.  At first he wasn’t sure what.  A flash of dark hair?  A laugh?  No.  It was a voice.  A specific voice, with a very familiar Irish brogue.  His heart leapt into his throat and his breathing became shallow.  Alarmed, Dean set down his cup and plate and grabbed Cas’ shoulders.

 

“Baby, what’s the matter?  Talk to me!”

 

Cas lifted one shaky finger to his lips.

 

“Shh!”

 

Dean frowned.

 

“What?”

 

Cas pointed with the same finger and Dean turned to see what had scared him so much.  It took a moment, but then he caught Patrick’s profile.

 

“Fuck, let’s go.  Now.”

 

He pulled the still full cup of soda out of Cas’ hand and dumped it in the first garbage can he saw as he steered the man out of the room and down the hall towards the exit.  Cas was silent, watching as Dean pulled his phone out and dialed someone.

 

“Hey, we are at Cas’ university Christmas party and fucking _Patrick_ is here.  Yes!  I know!”  Dean was saying.

 

“No, I don’t know if he works here or not, and I’m not sticking around for him to notice me or Cas.  We’re almost to the parking lot now.”

 

They had left their coats in the car so when they stepped out in the cold night air, Cas gasped and stuck his hands in his armpits.  Dean was still hurrying him along.  He wasn’t going to complain though.

 

“We’re on our way home now.  Yeah, fine.  We’ll see you then.”  Dean pocketed the phone and pulled out the keys to the Impala.  How stupid to drive it here!  Patrick probably knew what he drove.  They should have taken Cas’ car.

 

“Who was that you were talking to?  Is someone coming over?”  Cas asked once they were inside the car and Dean got it running.

 

“Yeah, Gabe.”  Dean put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking spot.  He didn’t relax until the university was nothing but a blip in the rear view mirror.

 

“Dean, if he works there…”

 

“I know,”  Dean said,  “We’re going to have to look into a restraining order.”

 

“No, not that.”  Cas was chewing on his lower lip and though it hurt, he didn’t stop.  “I left it off my resume that I was a stripper.  I didn’t think that would bode well, so I listed my career as a server.”

 

“Well…technically, you were.  Doesn’t Fergus list you all as servers, security, or bartenders?”  Dean asked.

 

“Yes, I suppose.  But still.  What if he goes to the higher ups and tells them I used to strip for a living?”

 

“What does it matter _before_ you started here?  Nothing you did reflects badly on you.  You worked a job, just like anyone else, and discrimination is against the law anyway.  They hired you on your merits, not your dancing skills, so don’t worry about that.  My concern is you being on campus with that asshole.  Cas, if he doesn’t back down, you might have to find a new job.”  Dean glanced over at him.  There was a pinched expression on his boyfriend’s face that worried him.  Cas loved this job, and he was making new friends.  It was unfair to expect him to have to leave because Patrick didn’t know how to act like a decent human being.

 

“I need to talk to a lawyer.  I want to know what my rights are,”  Cas looked over at him, and Dean could see the terror in his eyes.

 

“We’ll call Sam.  He’ll have people we can talk to.”  Dean reached over and took his hand.  “We’ll be ok.”

 

Cas hoped to God he was right.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

Gabe was at their place, wearing holes in the living room floor with his pacing when they got home.

 

“So he was there?  Is he a teacher?  Was he with someone who is on staff?  Did you happen to catch a last name?”

 

He was firing off questions before they’d even gotten the front door closed.  Cas shot him a dirty look before leaving to go change.  Gabe looked to Dean for answers.

 

“I don’t know.  All I do know is that we both saw him, and the moment I realized who it was, I grabbed Cas and steered him out of there.”  Dean loosened his tie and sat down on the couch to remove his dress shoes.  “He was scared shitless, Gabe.  That’s no way for him to exist.”

 

“Of course he’s scared!  That Patrick guy is still bugging people down at the club!”  Gabe cried.

 

“Lower your voice!  He’s stressed out enough as it is,”  Dean warned.  He stripped off his shoes and removed his jacket and tie.

 

Gabe sat down in one of the arm chairs, but he wasn’t relaxing.  He was worried.

 

“Don’t you realize _why_ he’s so scared?  It’s not for himself, it’s for me, for you, for Lexi, for everyone else in his life that Patrick is a potential threat to.  I’m not scared of the guy.  Yet.  But if he finds out where we live and starts coming around, then yes, I’ll have something to worry about.  Until then, I’m going to look at this logically.  Cas wants to figure out his rights, and I want him to feel safe again.”  Dean sat back and looked at the other man.  “He’s my priority.”

 

“And you’re mine.  You have to know that.”  Cas returned, having changed into a tee shirt and pajama pants.  “I’m going to check the school website right now and see if he’s on there.”  He went and grabbed his laptop out of his office and came back to sit beside Dean with it.  With his boyfriend and brother watching, he pulled up the university faculty page.  He didn’t have to scroll far to find what he was looking for.  It felt like his stomach had dropped right out of his body as he stared at the screen.  Dean was looking too, his normally tan skin going very pale.

 

“He’s a professor.  Apparently tenured,”  Dean said.

 

“So he’s not going anywhere any time soon, that’s what I’m hearing.”  Gabe ran a hand through his hair in frustration.  “Cassie, you need to apply to other universities.  Preferably _before_ he realizes you’re there.”

 

“His name is Dr. Patrick Brody, professor of Ancient Civilizations and Mythological Studies.  That puts him over in the history building, which is clear on the other side of campus.  I’ll stay away from there, and I won’t linger after work.  I can’t just quit though, I’ll never get another job at another university if I put a mark like that on my resume.”  Cas was reading the little bio attached to Patrick’s picture.  “Apparently he lives near the university.”

 

“Do you think he saw you at all?”  Gabe asked.  Cas shuddered.

 

“I really hope he didn’t.”


	23. Chapter 23

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

**_Patrick’s POV~_ **

  


_Patrick had been engaged in a rather amusing debate on the purpose of the stones at Stonehenge with fellow professor Laura Redmond when she’d suddenly made a noise of disdain.  Her eyes were over his shoulder, looking at something by one of the food tables._

 

_“What’s the matter, love?” he asked her.  She nodded towards the table._

 

_“That man just yanked a drink out of the other man’s hand and now he’s pushing him towards the doors.  That’s rather rude.”_

 

_He turned just in time to see a man with dark hair being directed out of the conference room by a taller man with light brown hair.  Just as he was about to turn back to Laura his brain registered what he was seeing, and he snapped his head back around.  Too late, the men were gone._

 

_“Pardon me, I’ll be back in a moment,”  He told her before running to the door.  Stepping into the hallway, he could see the two men hurrying for the parking lot. James. He was almost positive that had been James!  But… what would he be doing here, at a faculty Christmas party?  And with…_

 

_His temper flared as he realized he’d been accompanied by Dean.  Was Dean a professor here?  No, he doubted that.  The man was low class, most likely uneducated and dense.  He had no idea what James saw in him.  Another thought occurred though.  Maybe that’s why James was no longer dancing.  He had graduated and taken on a teaching position here.  That made a lot of sense.  The urge to follow them out to the parking lot was strong but really, there was no need.  If James, or even his idiot fuck buddy worked here, they wouldn’t be able to avoid him forever.  He would find them._

 

_With a wicked smirk he made his way back to where Laura was waiting.  When the winter break was over he would scour the campus until he found one or both of them.  There was no need to keep visiting the club.  His beautiful angel was right here._

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

It had been a long night and by the time Sam walked out of the club he was dead on his feet.  He waved at Victor as he passed by and made his way out to his car.  He wasn’t expecting someone to be leaning against it.  Especially not for it to be Gabe.

 

“Gabe?”

 

The man stood up, turning to face him.

 

“Hey, uh, I didn’t have your number and I didn’t want to ask my brother or Dean for it.  Can we talk for a minute?”

 

“Sure.  What about?”

 

I’m a little bit freezing.  Can we at least sit in your car and talk?  Or mine?  And when did you get a car?”  Gabe asked as he eyed the Toyota.  “I knew this one was yours.  It just screams ‘ _Sam_ ’.”

 

Sam pursed his lips in irritation but unlocked the doors.  They both got in, and he turned the car on, making sure the heat was on full blast.

 

“I’m making enough to be able to afford a better car now, and since Dean’s not living with me anymore I had to have my own method of transportation.  I had a car, believe it or not, but it was a P.O.S.  This one’s much better.”

 

“I like it.  I have a Toyota too,”  Gabe said softly.  Sam nodded.

 

‘Yeah, I know.  Sat in it with Cas the night I met you.”

 

“Sorry if I come off as an asshole.  I’m not really one,”  Gabe apologized.  Sam shifted uncomfortably.

 

“I don’t think-”

 

“Yes, you do.  Lexi thinks I am, Cas thinks I am, probably Dean too.  I’m trying though.  It’s just been Lexi and me for so long, and the last few months everything has been changing and I’m _trying_ to adjust to it all.  So maybe I’ve been coming off as a raging, fucking prick, passing judgment where I have no business passing it.  You’re a nice guy, and I’d like to start over.”  Gabe held out his hand.  “Hello, I’m Gabe Novak, chef, single dad, connoisseur of confections, and a sexually repressed asshole that is taking his frustration out on people that don’t deserve it.”

 

Sam couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing.

 

“Sexually repressed, eh?”

 

“Yeah, let’s just ignore that part.”  Gabe laughed nervously but was pleased when Sam shook his hand.

 

“Well, Gabe.  I’ll play along.  It’s nice to meet the real you.  My name is Sam Campbell.  Law student, exotic dancer, not quite so sexually repressed lover of documentaries and nonfiction books.  And probably about as dull as a brick wall.”

 

Gabe grinned.  It felt like he and Sam were finally on more friendly terms.

 

“Alright.  Well, brick wall, I actually came by to talk to you about something important.  You’re the closest thing to a lawyer that I know, so…here I am.”

 

Sam crossed his arms and waited for him to elaborate.

 

“Patrick been coming around?”  Gabe asked.

 

“Not in about a month, I don’t think.  I haven’t seen him.  He’s banned now though.”

 

Gabe nodded.  “Have you talked to Dean?  Or Cas?”

 

“I was busy with finals and work, and now school’s back in session.  What little time I’ve had to myself, I’ve been sleeping,”  Sam replied.

 

“Well, they went to that party at the university a few week back.  Guess who they saw there?”

 

Sam felt a chill that was deeper than what the cool car interior was causing.

 

“What the hell was he doing there?  Did he find Cas?”

 

“No.  At least, they don’t think so.  He’s a goddamn _professor_.  I’ve been trying to talk Cas into leaving and finding a job somewhere else but he insists on finishing out this school year, so he won’t leave until the end of May at the earliest.  Dean, however, is scouting out places in other cities for his second shop.  He’s accepting that Cas wants to make it until the end of the school year, but he’s on guard, even driving Cas to and from the university. Not that Cas is complaining.  But I’m worried about my brother.  He says he hasn’t seen Patrick, but the guy isn’t here bugging you all, so that leads me to believe that he must have seen Cas or Dean at that party and now knows that Cas works on campus.  It’s only a matter of time until he corners my brother, and your bodyguards won’t be there to protect him.  Neither will Dean.  I’m worried.  Have they caught the guy that raped that dancer yet?”  Gabe asked.

 

Sam’s head was spinning.  His first thought after he managed to calm down was that he was pissed.  Why hadn’t Dean told him what was going on?

 

“No, and from what I’ve heard, the police don’t have any leads.  I can’t do much more than email one or two of my professors and ask for advice about Patrick.  I can hit the library on campus too, see what I can find there.  Until Patrick makes some kind of move against Cas, there’s no grounds for a restraining order.  Then we have to follow the law, report it as harassment, and from there try to keep him away.  If we do this wrong, Cas could end up getting fired, and that has the potential to ruin his career.”

 

“How could Cas get screwed like that if it’s _him_ being stalked?  Because that’s what this bastard is doing, he’s stalking him.”  Gabe was frustrated.

 

“I’m betting this Patrick guy has been there for at least a few years.  He has at least some tenure which means that, depending on how he acts in the workplace, people may want to protect him, and then the only person getting hurt is Cas.  Patrick will still have a job, still be admired by his peers, and Cas will have worked his ass off for the last decade for nothing.  I go to school there too, but I haven’t seen him either, so I’m guessing he teaches things I don’t need for my degree.  But…I might have to take one of his courses.”  Sam was thinking.  He could keep an eye on Patrick if he took some of his courses.  Gabe was shaking his head though.

 

“No, won’t work, he knows your face.  It can’t be anyone that works here.  But, I have an idea…”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

“You want me to do what, exactly?”  Todd asked.

 

“There are a couple of courses on the university campus that we would like for you to take.  The professor is stalking Lexi’s uncle, and we want to get an idea of his popularity.  If you take his courses, we’ll pay for the last three courses you need for this year for your computer classes,”  Gabe replied.  Todd looked over at Lexi, who had her fist pressed against her lips and a worried expression on her face.

 

“You’ll really pay for them?”  Todd asked.

 

“You’ve been spending time over at my brother’s place.  You like him, right?  He’s a nice guy?  Nicer than me, that’s for sure,”  Gabe said.  Todd’s cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink, but he nodded. He and Lexi spent most of their free time over there because Gabe had a bad habit of hovering when he was home, and while Lexi’s dad had turned out to be a pretty ok guy, her uncles were really wicked cool. They liked classic cars, football, and there was always good stuff to eat there. They were the coolest gay guys he’d ever met.

 

“They’re both really nice,” he replied carefully.  The last thing he wanted to do was offend his girlfriend’s father.

 

“Yes, well, I don’t want my brother getting hurt because of this guy, and my brother doesn’t have the luxury of just quitting.  We would like for this professor to be monitored, so we know if he’s stalking my brother on campus.  Do you think you can do that?”  Gabe leaned forward in his chair and leveled Todd with a deadly serious expression.

 

“Ok, yeah, I can do it.  Am I like, following him around campus?”

 

“Not sure yet.  For starters, we just want you to sign up for his classes.  I know you’re in the community college because you can’t really afford the university, and I admire your dedication to getting your degree.  This will look good on your future job applications if you say you attended.  Might even be able to get you a job down at Dean’s garage, or I can talk to my boss and get you in serving tables to help pay for more of your college courses.  Lexi tells me your current job isn’t paying very much,”  Gabe explained.

 

“Is Uncle Cas really in danger?”  Lexi asked.  Gabe gave a little half shrug.

“We don’t know.  But I’d rather be careful and preemptive.  And I’d like for Cas not to know about this.”  Gabe leveled his daughter with a look that told her it was she that needed to keep her mouth shut.

 

“As long as he stays safe,” she said.

 

“That’s what we’re aiming for.  Now, Professor Brody has a new class starting in January.  If we get you signed up now, you’ll have a slot.  We’ll get you signed up for at least one of the computer classes that you need to finish your degree at the same time.  We can get you signed up tonight if you’re game.”  Gabe was looking at him again.  Todd nodded.

 

“Fine, as long as I’m not in danger too, I’ll do it.”

 

“We’re going to keep you safe,”  Gabe promised.  Lexi frowned.  She really hoped her dad knew what he was doing.


	24. Chapter 24

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Cas sat at his desk going over papers, trying to finish the last of the grading before Dean got there to pick him up.  It was already 5:10, and Dean would be walking through the door at 6:00.  Knowing Patrick was on campus had him in a constant state of high alert.  Every time a student knocked on his door he jumped, worrying it would be Patrick walking through.  His brother was convinced that since Patrick was no longer coming around the club he was aware Cas was on campus. He’d begun putting in applications at other universities and there had been a few interesting prospects, but as of yet, nothing was really panning out. It was becoming a very real possibility that he might not be able to get away at the end of the school year.

 

His office hours were until 5:30, and today three students had stopped by to discuss the paper he had assigned.  But his last one had been at 4:45 so now he was trying to play catch up.  At 5:25 someone knocked.  With a sigh he set aside the paper he’d been grading and looked up at the door.

 

“Come in.”

 

The door opened, and it was like every nightmare he’d ever had in his life was coming true in that exact moment.

 

“James.”

 

Cas dropped his hands into his lap slowly and felt for his phone.

 

“You’re not welcome here.  Leave,” he snapped angrily.

 

Patrick smiled and it sent a cold chill down Cas’ spine to see the leering grin on the other man’s face.  Rather than leave, he stepped into the office and closed the door behind himself.

 

“No, I don’t think I will.  You see, it took me a few weeks to figure out what you taught and what building you were in since you’re not up on the website yet.  Then there was the fact that I didn’t know your real name.  Course…”  Patrick lowered himself down slowly into the seat across from him.  “I know it now, _Doctor Novak_.”

 

Castiel watched him warily as he slid his phone out of his pocket.  Very carefully he dialed Dean’s number.

 

“I told you to leave.  Do I need to call the police?”  He reached for the phone on his desk but Patrick was faster, pulling it out of his grasp.

 

“Nah ah ah, that’s unnecessary. We’ve just reconnected, why would I leave?”

 

“Because there is absolutely nothing you’re going to get from me.  I told you at the club that I wanted nothing to do with you.  Apparently you can’t take a hint,”  Cas growled.  His fear was quickly replaced by anger.

 

“I’m Irish.  Of course I’m stubborn.  But I’m also no longer a customer.  Now…I’m your peer.  So, how about we head out for drinks?  Your office hours should be ending right about now.”  Patrick checked his watch and smirked.  “Aye, they’re over now.”

 

“I wouldn’t get drinks with you if you were the last man on Earth.  I am in a very happy, loving relationship, and I am not interested in anything you are offering.  I never _was_ interested.  You can’t be that dense, man.”  Cas wanted to punch him in the face, but he didn’t dare.  The glare Patrick was giving him now was unnerving.

 

“I think you’ll be changing your mind about that soon enough.  You’ll see that someone like _Dean-”_

 

Oh God, he knew Dean’s name.  Cas was careful to keep his expression neutral.

 

“Isn’t good enough for someone a beautiful and amazing as you, _Castiel_.”

 

It made his skin literally crawl hearing his name on Patrick’s lips.  He barely managed not to shudder.

 

“And that is where you would be wrong.  It’s _you_ that isn’t good enough for _me_.  I would never have any sort of relations with someone that would resort to threats or bullying.  You need to leave.  Now.  I do not want you here and you are banned from my office from now on.”  Cas didn’t know if he could really ban him, but he put enough anger in his words that he saw the uncertainty in the man’s eyes.  Someone knocked twice on his office door and then opened before he could tell them to enter.  Sam came walking in, and Cas wanted to just jump up and hug the man.

 

“Are you ready?  It’s time to go.”  Sam stood up tall and walked around to the side of the desk.  He glared down at Patrick, willing the man to challenge him.

 

“Absolutely.  Let me just throw this stuff in my bag.”  Cas pocketed the phone and hurried to stuff all his papers into his messenger bag, and he didn’t even bother to shut his laptop down before he closed it and shoved that into the bag too.

 

“Excuse _you_.  Wait…”  Patrick narrowed his eyes as he got to his feet.  “You work at the club.  I spoke with you about finding Ja-Castiel, and you lied about knowing where he was!”

 

“You are a sick son of a bitch if you think I’d let you near him!  He told you no, over and over for years and you just don’t get it, do you?  He’s not interested in an asshole like you.  So get out of his office.  You have no business here at this end of campus.  If you persist in harassing him, know that a restraining order _will_ be filed.”  Sam spoke with an authority that seemed to spread the seed of doubt in the other man.

 

“I did not come to _harass_ him, you imbecile.  I came to invite him out for drinks.”

 

“And I said no, and yet you’re still here.”  Cas’ blue eyes were icy when they fell on Patrick.  “You will not bother me in my workplace or anywhere else.  Do you hear me?  Get out.  Of my office and _of my life!_ ”

 

The office door swung open for a third time and Dean came barreling through.

 

“What the fuck?”

 

“Dean,”  Cas said softly.  It got his boyfriend’s attention.  Dean hurried to his side.

 

“Oh, how convenient that the cavalry has arrived.”  Patrick snarled.  His eyes locked on Cas.  “You don’t know what you’re missing, but you most certainly will never find out with an arse like him on your arm.”

 

He practically fled from the office, and Cas let out the breath he’d been holding.  Dean wrapped him up in his arms and held him tight.

 

“Fuck!”  Sam let out a shuddering breath and ran his fingers through his hair.  “I hope he gets the message.”

 

“Let’s get out of here.  How does pizza sound?  I’ll order a few, and we can all kick back.  I’m sure Lexi and Todd will show up at some point.  Maybe Gabe too.”  Dean said as he took Cas’ bag from him and slung it over his own shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do.  When he walked in I felt trapped.  The secretary goes home at five and everyone else is gone for the day.”  Cas hated that his voice trembled as they walked out.  He paused long enough to lock his office and then they were passing through the empty reception area and out into the hall.  Patrick was nowhere to be seen.  Cas was angry with himself.  It felt like, by allowing everyone else’s fears to affect him, he had essentially weakened himself.  He was _not_ weak!  Neither Sam nor Dean knew self-defense.  But he did.  Neither of them knew how to stave off unwanted advances like he could.  Yet he had panicked and sought Dean out to rescue him.  Pathetic!

 

He was quiet as they walked out.  Dean was still scanning for Patrick but he was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Sammy, you coming over?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, for a little while.  I have a lot of studying to do, but pizza sounds good,”  Sam replied.

 

“Alright.  We’ll meet you at the house.”  Dean started walking towards his car and Cas followed.  Once they were leaving the parking lot, he noticed Cas’ silence.

 

“Babe, you alright?”

 

“Do you think I’m weak?”  Cas asked suddenly.

 

“No, of course not.”

 

“I feel like everyone thinks I can’t take care of myself, and I fed into it.  Tonight just proved it.  I could have gotten Patrick to leave on my own, but I listened to my brother, and you are always so concerned, and I felt weak.  I’m not fucking weak!”  Cas’ voice echoed inside the car caused Dean to flinch.

 

“And you’re not!  I don’t see you as weak at all, is that really what you think?”  They were barely three blocks from the university, but Dean pulled over into the first parking spot he saw and killed the engine.  He turned in his seat and cupped Cas’ face between his hands.  

 

“Cas, I love you.  All my life I’ve taken care of the people I love.  I’ve protected them.  I _want_ to keep you safe.  Cas, baby, if I lost you, it would end me.  You’re everything to me.  Patrick scares the crap out of me because he honestly thinks he has a chance, and he isn’t taking no for an answer.  So maybe I got a little over protective.  You’re the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.  I would do anything for you.  I just want you to be safe.”  He was pleading, hoping Cas would understand.

 

“I understand, but you have to also realize that I am not helpless.  I have taken care of myself my entire life.  You think Patrick doesn’t scare me too?  But I can handle him.  If he comes back, I’ll call campus security and have him removed.  I’ll also speak with the dean and let her know I’m being harassed by another professor that isn’t taking no for an answer.  I’m not letting him or anyone else have that kind of control over my life.  I love you too, Dean.  More than anything.  Can we just go home now?  This stress is exhausting, and I’m starving.”

 

Dean pulled him forward just enough so he could kiss him, and then his hands were back on the steering wheel.

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll back off, ok?”

 

“Ok.  And I’ll let you know if something happens that is more than I can handle.”  Cas promised.  Dean nodded and started the car again.  That could have gone much differently, and Cas was glad it hadn’t.  The last thing he wanted was to lose Dean.

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

“Well, I’ll say this, the dude is creepy,”  Todd said as he sat down on the couch.

 

“Creepy how?”  Gabe asked.

 

“Well, he has this way of talking as he introduces new material that sort of makes my skin crawl.  I’ve talked with a few other students that all said the same thing.  He makes the girls especially uncomfortable.  What was worse was that he was in a really bad mood Monday.  Kept snapping at anyone on their phones, or that he caught talking.  I wasn’t one of the ones he yelled at, but he was still giving me dirty looks.  I don’t like him,”  Todd explained.

 

“Huh.”  Gabe mulled that over.  No doubt he was in a pissy mood after being shot down yet again by Cas last Friday.

 

“Oh, and after class ended last Thursday?  I followed him, just to see where he was going.  He went to stand just outside the science building.  You know, where Cas is at.  Just stood there, like he was debating on going inside.  In the end he turned and walked across campus to the main building.  Friday I saw him actually go inside, and when he came out, he was practically seeing red, he was so pissed,”  Todd added.

 

“Yeah, he found Cas, walked himself into his office and refused to leave.  Asked my brother out again like he actually expected him to agree to it.  He left after Sam and Dean showed up,”  Gabe said.

 

“Yeah, I saw Sam running in there, and a few minutes later Dean showed up and he ran even faster.  Once Dr. Brody walked out though, I left.  Figured I didn’t still need to be there.”  Todd had called Gabe the moment he’d seen Patrick go inside last Friday, and Gabe had immediately called Sam to see if he was still on campus.  He was and had raced from the library to Cas’ office.  Thank God for his long legs!

 

“We’re hoping he’ll lay off my brother now,”  Gabe told him.  Todd had a look on his face that told him he wasn’t quite agreeing.  “What?”  He pressed.

 

“Well, I made a point of walking past his office on Wednesday, and I overheard him talking with another professor, Dr. Luke Summers.  He was talking about Cas.”

 

Gabe leaned forward in his seat.  “What was he saying?”

 

Todd shifted uncomfortably.  It had been disgusting what he’d heard.

 

“Well, he was telling Dr. Summers about this “hot science teacher” he knew, and then proceeded to describe Cas’ body, uh, in detail.  Dr. Summers asked if he was someone Dr. Brody was involved with but he said no, but that eventually he’d wear him down and then…”  Todd bit his lower lip as he hesitated.  He really didn’t want to say the rest, especially not with Lexi staring right at him all wide eyed and scared for her uncle.

 

“And?”  Gabe pressed.  He really wasn’t going to let him get away without telling this.

 

“And that once he wore Cas down he was going to show him what it was like to have a real man fuck him.  Told Dr. Summers that Cas has a piece of shit boyfriend that never went to college and wouldn’t know a hyperbole from a hole in the ground.  Then he talked in detail about the things he wanted to do to Cas, and please don’t make me describe them,”  Todd begged.

 

“Oh God, he’s really sick in the head, isn’t he?  He won’t stop!”  Lexi cried.

 

“Well, Sam already threatened him with a restraining order if he didn’t back off and as far as I know he has appeared twice in the science hall since showing up in Cas’ office, pretending that he was just casually there, but Cas shut him down both times and threatened to call security.  And he’s driving himself to work now.  Made Dean stop picking him up.  From what Sam says, Dean doesn’t like it, but he respects my brother and doesn’t want to risk pissing him off.  Thing is, he doesn’t know we’re doing this, so I can’t tell him what you heard.  Fuck, I don’t know what we can do, or even if there’s anything that can be done.  You, stay safe.  Don’t raise his suspicions.  Go to class as usual and stay under his radar.  If you see or hear anything else, just let me know.”  Gabe sighed and scratched at his chin.  He needed a shave.  “I need a drink.  You two going to be ok here if I leave?”

 

“Yeah, of course,”  Lexi said.

 

“Uh huh.”  Gabe eyed them both for a moment before finally standing up.  His brother was right, he needed to loosen the reins more.  She was almost 18.  “I’ll be home later.”

 

“Be safe, Dad,”  Lexi said when he bent down to kiss her cheek.

 

“I will, princess.”


	25. Chapter 25

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

He drove aimlessly for almost a half hour, not finding a single bar he actually wanted to go into.  It dawned on him where he really wanted to go, and why.  It was an hour drive, but worth it.  He parked and crossed the lot to where Victor stood watch.

 

“Hey, didn’t think I’d see you back, not after James left.”  The bouncer smiled warmly.

 

“Yes, well, I need a drink, and I sort of came to see Shane,”  Gabe confessed.  “Is he working tonight?”

 

“He is.”  Victor had a smirk on his lips.  “Good looking guy, isn’t he?  I’d be all over that if he weren’t my ex’s little brother.”

 

Gabe blinked in surprise.  “You…dated Dean?”

 

“I did.  Gave him up when I moved out of state, and then when I came back I made the mistake of not looking him up again.  I was an idiot.  James is one lucky man.”  Victor sounded remorseful over breaking up with Dean.  It was a little weird as far as Gabe was concerned.  He pulled out his wallet, but Victor waved his money away.

 

“Nah, slow night.  You just go on in and enjoy yourself.”

 

“Thanks, Vic.  Guess I’ll see you later.”  Gabe nodded and headed inside.  The stage was flashing lights across it and a woman was doing a slow, sultry strip tease to a song that sounded vaguely familiar.  He didn’t stop to analyze it, just headed straight for the bar.  Balthazar noticed him and came right over.

 

“Fancy you being here.  Nostalgia bring you in?”

 

Gabe rolled his eyes.

 

“No, this is actually the last place I ever thought I’d be again, but I wanted to see Shane.”

 

“Shane.  Tall drink of water Rose keeps flirting with?  Handsome bastard.  Doesn’t even look in my direction but then again, why would he?  I’m old enough to be his father.”  Balthazar sounded genuinely sad about that.

 

“Do you think I’m too old?  I mean…”  Gabe’s eyes slid over the servers and quickly found Sam.  He looked wonderful dressed as a firefighter.  Hat, suspenders, pants, sans shirt.  The guy had an _amazing_ body.

 

“No, but I have a few years up on you.  Don’t know what James ever saw in me.”  Balthazar mused.  He whipped up a screwdriver and set it down in front of Gabe.  “You might actually have a chance with Shane.”

 

“Doubtful, especially if Rose is the one I think she is.  She’s beautiful.”  Gabe lamented as he slapped a $20 on the bar.

 

“He has resisted her advances so far.  I’m not sure the attraction is mutual.”  Balthazar said.  That intrigued Gabe.  He was fairly certain Rose was the one grinding her hips against the stage floor as she worked to seduce the audience.  How the hell was Sam resisting _that_?

 

“Yeah, well, I still think he’s too young.”

 

“I have 17 years up on Cas, and what we had was beautiful while it lasted.  He didn’t see the age difference.  Neither did I.  Try looking past that if you’re really interested,”  Balthazar spoke with the wisdom of a bartender, but also as someone that had truly been in love with his brother.

 

“I’ll think about it.”  He wasn’t making any promises.  There was no guarantee he could get past the age difference.  Looking up, he saw Sam walking towards the bar.

 

“Hey, strange seeing you here.  I thought you only came for drinks when…James was working here.”  He was smiling wide, like he was happy to see Gabe there.

 

“I needed a breather.  Had a talk with Todd tonight and it sort of creeped me out a bit.  So I came to the only place where I know the staff to get a decent drink,”  Gabe explained.  Sam’s smile faltered as he slid onto the seat next to him.

 

“Is it regarding Todd’s classes?”

 

“And then some,”  Gabe muttered.

 

Sam motioned to Balthazar who came over with a drink and set it in front of him.  Sensing their conversation was private, he slipped quietly away to tend to other patrons.

 

“You ok?”  Sam asked.

 

“Yeah, just worrying as usual.”

 

“You know, Cas is tougher than you give him credit for.”  Sam twirled the little stirrer around in his glass and looked over at him.  “From what I’ve been told he made it years working here without anyone really messing with him, and while I’m not going to stop watching out for him, I’m going to listen to my brother for once and back off a bit.  I finally have Dean off my back for the first time in my life, and I don’t want to make him or Cas mad.  I consider Cas to be my friend.  We’ll keep an eye on the creep and from there we’ll see what the next step we need to take is.”  Sam lifted his glass and took a sip.  Gabe watched him, trying not to stare at all of the glistening skin still exposed.

 

“You know, for a law student, you talk an awful lot like you’re already a lawyer.  How do you keep so calm and collected?”

 

Sam smirked. “I don’t know. I just…always have been. Dean was the one prone to acting first and thinking second, so I decided I needed to be the logical one that could talk some sense into him when need be. I told you I’m wiser than my years.” There was a twinkle in his eyes that got Gabe laughing.

 

“Yeah, you really are.”

 

“So, is that _all_ that got you down here?”  Sam leaned an elbow on the bar and Gabe couldn’t help but stare at his pecs as they flexed.  Sam definitely noticed.

 

“Well, I don’t really have many friends, and I usually hang out with Cas, but he’s a bit…busy nowadays,”  Gabe shrugged.

 

“Are you saying you see me as a friend?”  Sam was teasing him.  He wasn’t often the one on the receiving end, and he wasn’t sure how to really react.

 

“Is that so bad if I do?”

 

“Not at all.  I see you as my friend too.”  Sam’s smile was open and friendly, and Gabe realized he was ridiculously attracted to him.  Damn it.

 

“So, you have any more performances tonight?”  He was trying to be casual, but he missed by a long shot.  Sam opened his mouth to say something and God did Gabe want to hear what was on his mind, but Ruby aka: Rose appeared, sweating and completely topless. She leaned against Sam’s arm as she stole his drink.

 

“Hey!  That’s mine!”  He snatched it back before she could take a sip.

 

“Party pooper,” she pouted.  Gabe snickered when Sam not so subtly pushed her away.

 

“What do you want?”  Sam asked her.

 

“’I just wanted to see what you were doing.”  She tried playing with one of his suspenders but he slapped her hand away.

 

“I’m taking my break and talking with my friend.”  His tone was dismissive and that seemed to piss her off.

 

“What is your problem?”  She actually stomped her foot which was comical to Gabe with the stilettos she was wearing.  He expected her to fall and break her neck in those death traps.

 

Sam looked pissed when he spun around in his seat to face her.

 

“Rose, take a damn hint!  It was _one time_!  I’m not interested!”

 

Her dark eyes narrowed, and Gabe found himself cringing away from the woman.  She was tiny but fierce.

 

“Fuck you, Shane.  You’re not worth my time.”

 

She stomped off, and this time Gabe did laugh at how ridiculous she looked in those heels.  How she managed to walk at all in them was fascinating.

 

“Sorry about that.”  Sam turned back around in his seat and lifted his glass to finish off his drink.

 

“You, uh, slept with her, huh.”  Gabe hated how much that little detail hurt.

 

“It wasn’t a one night stand, if that’s what you’re thinking.  We went on a couple of dates but it wasn’t until we slept together that she decided to show her freaky side.  It’s, uh, a bit more than what I was prepared for.  Like the fact that she decided to bring her boyfriend into the bed the following morning when he got back from an overnight shift.  They’re into threesomes and…I’m not.  I’ve been telling her ever since to back off.  Hopefully now she gets the hint.”  Sam looked over at him.  “Besides, not even my brother knows that I have a preference for older men.”

 

He winked at Gabe, making the man sputter and choke on his drink.

 

“Don’t choke the poor bastard, or at least, if you do, don’t do it with liquid.” Balthazar teased as he set a new drink down in front of Gabe.

 

“You guys are assholes.”  Gabe coughed and shot them both a dirty look when they laughed at him.  Sam got to his feet and stretched.

 

“My break is over.  I’m up next.”  He was standing close enough that Gabe could smell the sweat on his skin.  “You sticking around?”

 

“Thinking about it?”  Gabe’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat.  Sam gave another of his dazzling smiles before walking away.  Gabe watched him go, wondering what exactly he was getting himself into.


	26. Chapter 26

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“Cas, I don’t know what we’re going to do.  I’ve held my tongue, but I’m so _angry_!  He keeps insulting Jeremy, and I’ve had enough!  His critique of Jeremy’s sermons are vicious, he makes comments in passing, at church dinners, at events, even passing in town, he’s rude.  It’s causing Jer to have panic attacks, and I’m upset that these things are usually being said in front of my kids,”  Cas could hear the tears in his sister’s voice as she vented her frustrations to him.

 

“Is he applying to other churches?”  he asked.

 

“Yes, and there have been a few that have possibilities, but they’re out of state and neither of us really want to go that far away from our families.  He’s also considering a position as a chaplain at a hospital in Whiting.  That one is promising, but there’s no guarantee of permanency.  I told him I will get a job, but that got him mad.  He wants me to wait until Sean is at least in school full time, but longer than that.  Til he’s in like 4th or 5th grade.  I’m just worried that he’ll snap at John and that will be the end of his job.”

 

Cas pinched the bridge of his nose and looked over at Dean, who was looking back from over the edge of the book he was reading, one eyebrow arched in question.  He held up a finger to let him know he’d explain after he was off the phone.  Dean nodded and returned to his book.

 

“You know what, I think Dean and I will attend church this Sunday.  If we’ve learned anything, it’s that I don’t hold my tongue around John, and if he tries to bully Jeremy, I’ll speak my mind.  Let him raise a hand to me again, this time he’ll regret it because I _will_ defend myself.”

 

“I don’t want you to put yourself through that.  It’s just…not worth it anymore.”  She sighed.  He could hear the defeat in her voice, and he was having none of that.

 

“Screw that.  We’ll be there Sunday morning.  I guarantee that asshole isn’t going to say anything with us there.  If I have to go every Sunday morning for the rest of Jeremy’s career, or until John Winchester is dead, I will.  Neither of you deserve this, and as I’ve told you before, I’ll support you in any way that I can.  You deserve better, you both do.”  His own temper flared at the possibility of John starting crap with him.  It was infinitely easier to deal with the asshole pastor than it was to deal with Patrick following him around campus flirting shamelessly.  John at least could somewhat take a hint.  Patrick couldn’t.

 

“You’re sure?” she asked.

 

“Positive,” he replied.

 

The rest of their conversation was about the kids, his job (he had spared her the details about being harassed), and Dean’s plans to open a second shop farther north.  By the time he hung up he was feeling better about their talk.  He worried about her and about Jeremy.

 

“John being an asshole still?”  Dean slipped a bookmark between the pages of his book (another thing Cas loved about him.  He despised people that dog eared the pages.  It ruined the quality as far as he was concerned.) and set the book aside.

 

“Yes.  He’s insulting Jeremy’s sermons and essentially bullying him, in the church, at church functions, and even out on the streets.  I’m sorry that I included you in that promise.  I can go by myself.”  Cas slid closer and pulled Dean’s arm around his shoulders.  

 

“No, I told her this summer that if he started crap, I’d be there too.  I bet if I tell Sam, he’ll go too.  John is more likely to go off on us than Jeremy,”  Dean said.

  


“It shouldn’t have to come to this.  I don’t understand why the man is being such a dick to Jeremy.  It’ not like Jer took over as head pastor, Chuck did.  Came out of retirement to do so.  From what my sister told me a few months back, John is still on probation, only giving a sermon here and there, and his sermons are audited before he’s allowed to recite them.  They’re still debating on whether to reinstate him or bring in someone completely new.  Of course, she’s hoping they bring in someone new.”  Cas’ deep loathing for John Winchester had him agreeing.  The church needed new blood, someone that would be a good influence on the congregation and the community.

 

“Don’t hold your breath.  John grew up in that church.  His father was head pastor until his death when my dad was five.  Then Chuck’s dad took over for a few years, then Chuck did.  He doesn’t like giving sermons though because of his anxiety, which is why he stepped down and John took over.  I feel bad that the guy has to be back up in front of everyone again.”  Dean shook his head.  “John makes everyone’s lives miserable.”

 

Cas hummed an agreement.  “So what, we show up Sunday, sit in the pews like a bunch of bodyguards and glare at John?”

 

Dean chuckled.  “If we have to.  And if we catch him harassing Jeremy, we’ll put him in his place.  I heard though that Kate is thinking of leaving him.  Jody told me.  It’s not gossip around the church yet.  She told Jody in confidence and asked her to pass the information along to me because she might want me to hang on to Adam for a little while.  Apparently your guesses of what he was doing behind closed doors was more accurate than you’d realized.”

 

Cas looked up at him in horror.  “He’s _beating_ her?”

 

“Yeah, but not exactly in the way you would think.  More like using strict discipline.  Forcing scriptures on her and Adam, and when they can’t recite them back word for word, he makes them kneel.  Jody says he’s making them kneel on rice.  Do you know how fucked up that is?  And he hits her across the back with a switch when he feels she is being a disobedient wife.  Does worse to Adam.  Fuck.  I wish I’d known earlier, I’d have done what I could to get the kid out of there sooner.”  Dean was kicking himself for that.  He’d had his suspicions, but both Kate and Adam had insisted there was nothing bad going on at home.  

 

“Good.  She needs to get away.  I hope she finds peace,”  Cas said.  Dean nodded in agreement.

 

“Me too.”

 

**♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋**

 

The shop was slow and after finishing his orders, he decided he’d pop in on Cas at the university and bring him lunch.  He liked doing that every once in awhile, and knowing Cas, he was only eating a small salad anyway.  His eating habits while dancing had carried over to his teaching life.  He ate breakfast, mostly just had a snack for lunch, and then ate light at dinner.  Dean liked to make sure he ate well for lunch whenever possible.

 

Stopping for a much healthier salad, a fruit bowl, and a few other things, he drove to the university.  Cas’ lunch hour was from 2:30 to 3:30, and he pulled into the parking lot right at 2:15.  He hummed the Metallica song that had been stuck in his head all day as he walking into the science building and headed up to the third floor, where Cas’ office was.  He wanted to surprise him when he came back from class.

 

His secretary Dana smiled when he walked into the outer office.

 

“Hello, Dean,”  she greeted him warmly.

 

“Hey, Dana.  Did you eat?”  he asked her.  She shrugged.

 

“I had a granola bar.”  

 

“Here.  You need to keep your strength up.”  He set a bag with a turkey sandwich down on her desk.  Her smile brightened.

  


“Oh!  Thank you, doll!”

 

“I’ll just wait in Cas’ office,” he told her.  She was already digging into the bag, pulling the sandwich out, but paused to look up and nod.  He entered Cas’ office, closing the door behind him and then went about taking the food he’d bought for his boyfriend out and putting it on the desk.  There was another salad (he refused to admit Cas was having a positive influence on his diet) waiting for him, but he wasn’t eating until Cas got here.

 

It was about fifteen minutes later when the door opened and Cas came walking in.  He lit up the moment he saw Dean sitting there.

 

“Hey, darling, you didn’t tell me you were coming.”  He stopped to kiss Dean before going around to sit behind his desk.  “Oh!  This looks so much better than the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I brought!”

 

“Thought it might.  How are classes today?”  Dean pulled his own salad out and took the lid off.

 

“I’ve been doing quizzes all day.  It’s possible my students hate me right now,”  Cas replied with a laugh.  “They’ll get over it though.”

 

“Yes, they will.  You’re shaping young minds.  They’ll be thankful for all the knowledge you’re instilling in them when they have patients they’re trying to heal later on.”  Dean was certain of it.

 

“How are things down at the shop?”  Cas inquired around a bite of chicken and lettuce.

 

“Slow.  We have two cars being worked on, and I finished my orders for the month, so I thought I’d come have lunch with my gorgeous boyfriend.”  Dean winked, happy to see the smile on his face.  Someone knocked at the door.  Cas’ smile slipped away.  He might have thought he had his emotions on lockdown, but Dean could see the nervousness that suddenly rose up.

 

“Yes?”

 

It’s me, Dr. Novak,”  Dana said.  

 

“You can open the door,”  Cas called out.

 

She turned the knob and stepped into the room.

 

“Dr. Brody came by again.  I threatened to call security and he became upset, said some less than pleasant things and then left.  I called security anyway.”

 

“How is that man still employed here?”  Dean complained.

 

“I’m wondering that myself.  I filed a complaint with the dean, another with security, and I want to go and talk to the police and see if I can’t finally get that restraining order.  I’m so tired of this crap.  He tries at least once a week to get into my office, and he keeps bothering me around campus.  Seems so convinced I’ll just dump you and go running into his arms.  He’s so narcissistic it’s disgusting.  Every time I see him I just want to punch him in the face.”  Cas was pissed, that much was clear in his voice.  

 

“We’ll go talk to them tonight, ok?  This has to stop.  I can’t imagine that the school would allow this to keep going on,”  Dean said.

 

“They’re aware, but they’re trying to keep this quiet.  The dean has told me that they’ve given him an ultimatum.  Leave me alone or he will lose his job.  He’s like, ten years older than me and has already obtained tenure, which makes it very difficult to fire him, but he’s so obsessed with having me that he’s willing to put his job at risk.  It’s rather ridiculous.  I’ve told him time and again that you’re the man I’m planning to spend the rest of my life with, but all he hears is that you’re a problem and need to be eradicated.  I’m getting really sick of it.”  Cas stabbed his fork angrily into his salad as Dana quietly slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.  Dean was pretty sure she’d heard this rant about as many times as he had.

 

“Well, he hasn’t shown up at the garage.  If he does, you can bet your ass I’ll have him arrested.  Sam, uh, he wanted me to get my conceal carry.”  

 

Cas looked up, cocking one eyebrow.  “Wanted?”

 

“Yeah, I sort of went and applied a few weeks back.”  Dean fished his wallet out of his pocket and pulled the license out.  He slid it across the desk.  Cas picked it up and studied it for a moment before passing it back.

 

“I have mine too.  I’ve had it for years, but I sold my guns for the university entrance fees.”  

 

“Well, I’ve been looking.  I found two I’d like to buy.  If you have your conceal carry, I want you carrying.  I understand that you’d rather have hand to hand combat, but unfortunately nowadays, assholes are more likely to carry a gun, and I’d rather you have a backup form of protection.”  Dean said.  Cas nodded and went back to eating his salad while Dean tucked the ID back into his wallet.

 

“I have experience with guns.  Grew up Republican,”  Cas snorted and shoved the last bite of his salad in his mouth.

 

“So glad you saw the light,”  Dean teased.  Cas chuckled.

 

“Yes, well, I may not have liked my parents’ political views, but I know responsible gun handling and I like owning one.  Whatever you’ve chosen, I probably already know how to use it, and I’ll keep it on me, I promise.”

 

“Then we’ll go pick them up tonight.  What’s the school’s policy?  Can you carry on campus?  Probably not, right?”  Dean asked.

 

“There’s a zero tolerance policy for weapons on campus.  It’s not going to stop me though,”  Cas murmured.

 

Dean smirked.  His boyfriend was a badass.


	27. Chapter 27

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Sunday morning Cas’ stomach was in knots as he drove them to the church.  Sam was driving on his own and had already texted to let them know he was sitting, waiting in the parking lot.  

 

“You ok?”  Dean reached over to take his hand.  He could feel how tense Cas was, and it worried him.  

 

“I despise John.  I don’t want to ever even be in the same time zone as him, but seeing as how he is making my family miserable, I can’t stand idly by and let him force my brother in law into a hospital.  Therefore we are doing this.  I hope to God this gets him to back off.”  Cas squeezed his hand gently before pulling his own back so he could turn into the church parking lot.

 

“Hey, I’m here with you.  Sam’s here with you.  We’re not going to let this asinine behavior continue.  Jeremy is our family too.  So are Anna, the kids, Gabe, Lexi, everyone.  And we take care of our own, ok?”  Dean ran his fingers through Cas’ hair once they were parked and he’d turned the car off.  Cas smiled as he leaned into his touch.

 

“I love hearing you say that.”  

 

Ten months together and if anything, Dean’s love for Cas had only grown.  He cared very much about Cas’ family, and he knew Cas cared about his too.  They got out of the car and walked over to Sam who was waiting near the door.  Apparently everyone else was inside.  They weren’t late, there was still five minutes before Jeremy was set to start giving his sermon.

 

“You look nice, Sam.”  Cas complimented the man on his sweater and dress pants.  “But there’s a touch of glitter right there.”  He pointed to Sam’s ear when the man tucked a lock behind his ear.  

 

“Oh well.  I showered, at work and again at home.  That glitter gets everywhere,”  Sam laughed.

 

Dean grimaced but Cas joined in laughing with him.

 

“So, shall we?”

 

Sam and Dean both took deep breaths and nodded.

 

Cas led the way, entering the church first.  People were still milling about, talking, though a few people stopped, looking at him in surprise.  He led the way to the front of the church and right to the front row where Anna was sitting with the kids.  Cas scooped his youngest nephew up and plopped him in his lap as he sat down beside his sister.  Dean sat down beside him and Sam sat down on Anna’s other side.  The tiny little redhead looked pleased to have three big men sitting with her.  Jeremy was up at the pulpit sorting through his sermon and when he looked up and saw them sitting with his wife, he did a double take.  Apparently she hadn’t told her husband they were coming.  Cas mouthed the word ‘surprise’ to him.  Jeremy grinned and shook his head before turning back to his papers.  

 

From the left, John Winchester entered.  He glared at Jeremy before turning to look at Anna.  He froze when he spotted Cas, Dean, and Sam sitting there with her.  Cas stared icily at him until he retreated to his seat on the other side of the aisle.  Kate and Adam came up the center aisle, heading towards the first row.  She hadn’t spotted them, but Adam sure did.

 

“Dean!  Sam!” he cried.

 

“Adam!”  John said sharply.  The boy faltered in walking over to greet his brothers but Dean was on his feet and pulling the boy into a tight hug before John could stop him.

 

“Hey, buddy.  You doing ok?”  Dean whispered in his brother’s ear.

 

“I’m trying to be.  Mom’s leaving dad.  I’m so glad,”  Adam whispered back.  Dean squeezed him tighter.

 

“You ever need a place to go to feel safe, you come to me.  John doesn’t know where I live.  He knows where Sammy lives though.”  Dean told him.  Adam pulled back and nodded.  

  


“I’m going to be punished for talking to you, but I don’t care, it’s worth it.”  The kid grinned and Dean’s heart ached knowing how he was going to be abused later.

 

“When is your mom planning to leave?” he asked.

 

“Her lawyer is typing up the divorce papers now.  He has all of the hospital records from mine and mom’s abuse.  Real soon, she says.  I-I want out.  I want her out.  I need to keep her safe.”

 

Dean understood that.  Sam came over and hugged Adam too before John came and forcibly grabbed the kid by the arm and pulled him over.  Kate, however hugged them both.

 

“I’m glad you boys are here,” she told them.

 

“Jer is family.  I won’t stand by and let John torment him.”  Dean said.  “But I know what’s going on with you too.  At least a little bit.  If you need me to take Adam, or you need a safe place to stay, you’re welcome to come stay with me and Cas.  We already talked about it.  John can’t get in the building either.  You’d both be perfectly safe.”  

 

She patted his cheek gently.  “Thank you, honey, but when I do leave, we’re going to stay with my sister in Chicago.  Not permanently, mind you, but for a little while.  Adam just turned seventeen.  He’s leaving for college in less than a year.  I helped him fill all the paperwork out so he can go to Stanford and study medicine.  He wants to take after you, Sam, but he wants to be a doctor like Castiel.  You boys may not realize it, but you’ve been a big influence on him.  Even from a distance you’ve helped shape him.  He’s in therapy now.  We both are.  If you’d like, I could call you later?  When John isn’t around, and we can discuss it more in depth.”  

 

“Any time you want to talk, you have my number.  Or you can stop by the shop.  I’ll buy us lunch,”  Dean told her.  She smiled and for the first time since she had come into his life when he was a kid, there was an air of confidence to her.  He smiled back and squeezed her hand before returning to his seat next to Cas.  Sam returned to his seat next to Anna and picked Faith up again when she crawled back into his lap.  The little girl had fallen in love with Sam over the last few months and whenever he was around, she wanted to be near him.  For her fourth birthday Sam had bought her a Barbie dream house, and that had pretty much sealed the deal.  She told everyone that when she grew up, she was going to marry him.  Sam just thought she was an absolutely adorable little girl.  As she cuddled up against him, his fingers absently played with her strawberry blonde curls, he gave his attention completely to Jeremy’s sermon.

 

Twice during the sermon John made a noise of disagreement to something Jeremy talked about.  The first time Cas shot him a dirty look and continued to glare at him for a good ten minutes before turning back around to face the pulpit.  The topic had been about acceptance and offering help to those less fortunate.  He brought up the topic of a clothing drive for the refugees that had come into the country and were currently being detained.  Cas knew full well, as did Dean and Sam, that if he was talking about this drive, he’d already gotten permission from the council, and there wasn’t squat John could do about it except complain and be rude.  Cas gave his brother in law a thumbs up when the man kept glancing nervously in his direction and that seemed to give him the reassurance he needed that he was doing well.  Until John did it again during a passionate talk about love and acceptance.  Cas sort of got the idea that it was deliberately aimed at John.  The idea amused him.  

 

When John felt it was alright to interrupt a second time, he received triple the glare, and a loud clearing of the throat by Dean.  That had the desired effect.  John was silent for the rest of Jeremy’s sermon, and Cas didn’t miss the look of gratefulness that was sent in his direction.  When not being insulted and interrupted, Jeremy was actually a compelling preacher, and he chose to speak about topics that were concerning to people as far as current affairs went.  He heard people worrying about the refugees, so he spoke of helping those less fortunate, and opening up your heart.  Someone’s relative was making dangerous life choices, he preached about guidance and acceptance.  He was filled with love for the community, which was the complete opposite of John Winchester.  And everyone knew it.  

 

When the sermon ended, Anna turned to smile at her brother.

 

“You being here has helped a lot.  He’s so much more confident when he’s not being interrupted and insulted.  Will you join us for breakfast?  Gabe is meeting us.”

 

Cas looked over at Dean who nodded.

 

“Sure, we didn’t eat before we came.  Sammy?”  Dean looked over at his brother who quickly nodded.

 

“Sure.  Where are we going?”

 

“The Pancake House, two blocks over,”  Anna replied.

 

The kids were coming back up from Sunday school, something Danny was now old enough at three to attend, and Cas smiled as his niece and nephews came flying down the center aisle.

 

“You should teach your children to be respectful and _walk_ when inside a church,”  John snapped.  Sean faltered in his steps and cowered away from the angry preacher, until Sam gathered him up and tucked him onto the seat between where he and Anna were still sitting.  Dean had grabbed Danny and Cas picked up Faith.

 

“If I remember correctly, Dean and Sam both ran up and down these aisles, just like all the children do, and they didn’t harm anyone or anything.”  Jody had walked over, placing a hand reassuringly on Dean’s shoulder.  “It’s very nice to see you boys back here. Supporting your family is a wonderful thing.”  Her eyes were locked on John, daring him to challenge her.  

 

“Jeremy is family, and we enjoyed his sermon very much.  He put a lot of thought into it and the topics fit the current concerns, especially with the issues regarding the refugees.  If you need volunteers to help run the clothing drive, we’d be more than happy to help.”  Cas told her.  Jody smiled brightly, clearly pleased by that.  John stood off to the side fuming over the entire thing until he couldn’t take it anymore and stormed off.  

 

“He’s just angry that it wasn’t his idea, and that he has no control over it,”  Dean said.

 

“You wouldn’t be wrong.”  Jody agreed.  “But Jeremy suggested this, and we wholeheartedly agree.  This church prides itself on its capacity for helping those less fortunate, and seeing that people fleeing from a war torn country get the care and help they need.  If you have any other suggestions for helping the refugees, please, don’t be afraid to come and share.”  She squeezed Dean’s shoulder and offered one last smile to Cas before moving on to speak with Kate.  

 

“This place has a different vibe without John in charge,”  Dean commented.  “I actually like it better.”  Sam nodded in agreement.

 

“After you left I suddenly became the prodigal son, the one that was going to take over as head pastor when I grew up.  I told him from an early age that I wanted to be a lawyer, not a preacher,”  he snorted.  “I told him I had no intention of being a preacher, and about a week later I found myself getting kicked out.  Thirteen years old and I was homeless.  I went straight to Jody, and she called you.” Sam nodded at his brother. Dean’s jaw clenched.

 

“Yeah, I remember that.  Bobby drove me straight over to pick you up.  He was pissed.  You know, he seriously thought about walking out of the church at that point?  He was ready to punch John.  I asked him not to, but I also asked that we not be forced to attend anymore.”  Dean looked around at their group, his eyes landing on Cas.  “And that is the story of why I’ve not stepped foot inside this church since I was fourteen.”

 

Cas found Dean’s hand and linked their fingers together.  Dean tugged until he moved closer, then pressed a kiss to his temple.  

 

“Hey, thank you all for coming.  You sure made it a lot easier to speak without John interrupting every two seconds,”  Jeremy had been talking to other people but he was all smiles when he joined their group.  “Will you be joining us for breakfast?  I’m sure the kids are hungry.”

 

Cas said they were, and then they made their way out to their cars.  He relaxed more once he was in the Nissan with Dean at his side.

 

“You know, I think Faith is going to steal Sam away one day,”  Dean joked.  Cas broke out in a grin.

 

“She does seem quite smitten with him, but then again dolls and their accessories are the way to her heart.”  

 

“So I’ve noticed, though she likes the stuffed Batman pillow we got her, and the play kitchen.”  Dean said.  Cas smiled.  Faith had just turned four  a little over six months ago, and her birthday party had been a princess extravaganza, and Dean had gone ahead and designed her cake for it.  The cake had a Barbie in the center and the cake was her dress.  He’d taken his time designing it with a layer of fondant that he’d then decorated with buttercream ruffles.  By the time he was finished the doll looked like a Southern Belle, and Faith was absolutely in love.  But even after all of that hard work, Sam’s Barbie dream house had been her favorite gift of all.

 

“I got a kick out of her peppering Sam’s face with kisses and telling him she was going to marry him.  Did you see how red he turned?”  Cas asked, laughing at the memory.  “I didn’t know he could turn that red.”

 

Dean laughed right along with him.  “Yeah, he’s a charmer, but I sort of noticed something.  Not sure if you noticed it too or not.”

 

“Noticed what?”  Cas turned into the restaurant parking lot.  It was pretty full so he drove around to the back looking for a parking spot.

 

“That Sam was watching your brother,”  Dean replied.

 

“Watching _my_ brother?  Are you sure about that?”  Cas found a spot and pulled in.  He recognized the car next to his.  It was Gabe’s.

 

“Just…watch, when we go inside.  I think that’s why he agreed to come.  Anna mentioned Gabe was meeting us here, and suddenly Sam was eager to come.  He texted me this morning saying he wanted to go home and go back to bed because he worked til three and didn’t get home until almost five this morning.  He’s off today, but it was still funny to see the sudden turnaround,”  Dean said as they got out.  

 

“Huh.  Well, I know Gabe’s attracted to him, but he thought Sam was too young.”  Cas had talked to Balthazar not all that long ago, and he’d brought up the fact that Gabe was actually coming into the club at least once a week now to watch Sam dance, and then they’d sit together for Sam’s lunch breaks.  

 

“Well, he thinks I don’t know that he likes older guys.  I’m not dumb though.  Every guy he’s ever dated, save for one, has been at least ten years older.  He dated a forty-year-old when he was eighteen.  That one I put my foot down on.”  Dean reached out and took his hand.  “But he’s smart enough to know what he wants, and trust me, he’s stubborn.  If he wants something, he’ll go after it.  Just…watch him with Gabe.  It’s actually pretty funny.  And he thinks I’m too oblivious to notice.”

 

They stepped into the lobby where the rest of their families were waiting.  Sam had Faith in his arms and was playing some sort of game that had the little girl giggling while Jeremy had a sleeping Danny in his arms.

 

“Tables full?”  Cas asked.  His sister nodded.

  


“We’ll be seated in less than ten though.”

 

Gabe was standing near the counter, talking with the girl behind the counter.  It felt familiar, like he knew her.  Cas wondered if he did.  He looked at Sam but the man was thoroughly engrossed with whatever game he was playing with Faith.  

 

“I don’t see it,” he whispered to Dean.  

 

“Just wait,”  Dean told him.

 

It wasn’t much longer before they seated, three tables having been pushed together for them.  Dean and Cas sat together, as did Jeremy and Anna.  Gabe sat at one end of the table while Sam sat at the other end.  The kids were scattered between them all.  Naturally Faith was seated between her mother and Sam.

 

“Where’s Lexi?”  Dean asked.

 

“She had work this morning.  She’s doing so well that they’re giving her more weekend hours.  I’m getting used to her being out of the house.  She’s becoming more and more independent all the time,”  Gabe replied.  

 

“Good for her.  I’m glad she likes her job.”  Cas was very happy for his niece, but what made him even happier was the fact that her relationship with her father was doing very well.  He’d begun backing off and giving her a lot more space, something she needed as a maturing young lady.  Plus her relationship with Todd was doing great.  He’d never seen Lexi so happy since she was probably still in diapers.  

 

As he watched, Gabe kept glancing up at Sam who was nodding along as he listened to Faith telling him a story she had heard in her preschool class.  Sean was jumping in, correcting his sister whenever she got part of it wrong.  When he caught Sam sneaking glances back, he nudged Dean under the table.  His boyfriend turned to look at him, his expression questioning.

 

“You were right,” he whispered.  Dean chuckled.

 

“Told you.”

 

The meal itself was pleasant, and then everyone was leaving to head home.  Before Dean and Cas got in the car to go back to their place, they saw Gabe and Sam leaning against Sam’s car talking.

 

“They sure are getting along better,”  Cas mused.

 

“Were they ever not?”  Dean asked.

 

“Their first meeting was…” Cas searched for the right words. “Tense. My brother passed judgement on Sam, and, well, Sam took offense and got a bit snippy.  I know he was attracted to Sam at first, until he found out how old he was.  Then suddenly he felt like a big old perv.  I told him he’s not.  Sam’s an adult and can decide for himself who he does and doesn’t want to show interest in.”  

 

“I bet it has to do with Lexi.  He judges who is and is not old enough to flirt with based on how close in age they are to his own child.  I’ve actually done that.  Had this really cute girl show up in my shop a couple years back.  Needed her brakes and shocks done.  Her dad brought her in.  She flirted like crazy with me, but I knew she was young.  Her father casually mentioned that he’d bought the car for the girl only six months earlier for her 18th birthday, and all I could think was, even Sam wouldn’t date a girl that young.  So I ignored her flirting.  I almost passed on asking you out because I thought you were around Sam’s age,”  Dean said pointedly.

 

“Mmm, I remember.  I could tell in your texts just how surprised you were by that,”  Cas teased.  Dean grinned.

 

“It looks like he’s getting over that mindset.  Sam’s always been more mature anyway.”  

 

Cas was curious but he wasn’t going to pry.  Sam was the first person his brother had shown real interest in in years.  If he and Dean left them alone, maybe something could come of their attraction.  He sort of hoped it did.  His brother was lonely and needed someone that could love him, flaws and all.


	28. Chapter 28

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Sunday brunch became a thing.  No matter how late he worked the night before, Sam would join everyone at church on Sunday mornings.  The less sleep he got, the less tolerant he was of John’s ignorance, and the more he opened his mouth whenever the man said something rude.  After church they would all head out to eat together, and Gabe suddenly was there every single week.  Sometimes Lexi joined them, if she didn’t have work, and occasionally Todd would accompany her.  Cas liked seeing them together.  Todd doted on his niece without treating her like she was any different than any other girl.  He knew she was in love with the boy.  He also knew his brother was aware of it too, however Gabe seemed to like the kid and they talked easily enough whenever Cas saw them together.

 

By Easter Cas had finally received an offer from two other universities; however, both were out of state.  He felt torn.  Both positions paid better than what he was currently making and offered more flexibility for courses he could teach, but his family was all here.  Dean’s family was here.  Dean’s _business_ was here.  He hadn’t brought it up yet to his boyfriend but on Good Friday, two days before they were set to join everyone at Anna’s house, he finally broke down and told him.  Dean had sensed something was wrong after the university decided to sweep the entire issue with Patrick under the rug by threatening not to rehire Cas the following year, but he couldn’t get the man to talk about it.  Until that night.  

 

Cas was wrapping the last of the gifts they had bought when the buzzer alerted him that he had a visitor.  Dean was off doing some last minute shopping for the pies he was planning to make later.  Unwinding himself from all of the tulle, ribbons, and scraps he’d managed to cover himself with as he made baskets for each of his nieces and nephews, a tradition he’d started back when Lexi was a baby, he got up from the floor.  Out of habit now he flipped on the camera first before he said anything.  His stomach clenched tight when he saw who was at the door.  He whipped his phone out and dialed Dean.

 

“Hey, babe.  I’m almost done.  I just paid and I’m walking to the car.  How does pizza sound for dinner?”  Dean greeted him happily.

 

“Patrick is here,”  Cas blurted.

 

“What?  Call the cops.  Now.”  Dean said quickly.  “I’ll be there in less than five.”

 

“O-ok.  I’m making sure the alarm is set too.  This shit is getting ridiculous.”  Cas had left the alarm off after Dean had left earlier but he set it now and started walking towards the bedroom.  

 

“Hang up and call them.”  Dean snapped.  Cas knew he wasn’t angry with him but it got him in gear.  He hung up and immediately called 911.  The buzzer rang through the condo a second time and after making sure the back door was secure, he went back to look at the monitor.  Police were on the way, and he cringed when Patrick pressed the buzzer a third time.  Cas watched his head jerk to the right and he knew the police must be turning onto his block.  He moved to the window and saw the flashing lights below.  The next time the buzzer sounded, it was the officer he’d spoke to after his assault by John. He let her in and opened the door to the condo to wait for her.

 

Dean was just coming in through the back door as Maddie was walking in the front door.

 

“We have a restraining order,” he said as he marched into the living room.

 

“We are aware.  Unfortunately he was gone before we got here.  You’re certain it was the same man that has been harassing you?”  She directed the question to Cas, who nodded and led her over to the monitor.

 

“Yes, and I snapped several pictures.”  He pulled up the pictures he had saved and waited for Maddie to study them and make notes.  She spoke into her mic and Dean came to stand behind Cas as they waited to see if Patrick was spotted in the area.  

 

It was frustrating knowing there was nothing that could be done and when Maddie was gone, Dean let out a frustrated growl.  Cas knew this was affecting him as well.  There was a ton of guilt he felt over that.

 

“Can we talk for a minute?” he asked.  It was time to tell Dean about the other job offers.

 

“Yeah, let’s do it in the kitchen though.  I sort of dumped the groceries on the table and hurried in here.”  Dean said as he stripped out of his coat and hung it up.  Cas headed for the kitchen and started unloading the bags before Dean arrived.

 

“What did you want to talk about?”

 

“I got a couple of job offers.”  Cas was too exhausted mentally to try and ease into the conversation.  Dean paused in opening the bag of flour he’d bought to look at him.

 

“Where?  And when would it start?”

 

“One is in Miami.  Higher pay, but I think with the higher costs of living it would about equal what I make here.  Maybe I’d make a little more.”  Cas put the eggs in the fridge but left the butter out.  He knew it was for the crust.

 

“And the other?”  Dean set the flour down next to the butter and leaned against the counter.

 

“South Dakota.”

 

Dean was quiet, thinking, and Cas stood with a bag of frozen cherries clutched in one hand, watching and waiting.

 

“Well, how does that one pay?”

 

“Better than Florida,”  Cas replied.

 

“Well, Bobby and Karen are out there.  Depending on what university, we could give them a heads up, and they’d help us find a nice house.  And I’d definitely be able to open a shop.”  He didn’t care what university Cas was offered a position at; he’d make it work.  No way was he giving the man up.  Cas relaxed and tossed the bag of fruit on the counter before sliding his arms around Dean’s waist and waiting for the strong arms to embrace him in return.  When they did, he relaxed even more.

 

“What’s the matter, baby?  Did you think I would fight you on this?”  Dean kissed the top of his head softly, frowning when Cas hugged him tighter.

 

“I feel guilty, like I’m forcing you to uproot your life because I have a problem with some idiot that doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no,”  Cas confessed.

 

“Cas, baby, I love you.  I’m not going anywhere. I’m in this for the long haul, and we’ll do whatever we have to in order to keep you safe.  If that means we have to move clear out of state, then that is what we will do.  I wanted another shop anyway, and in a better location.  Sammy’s covering his own tuition now without help from me, which means I’m saving more money.  We can see about selling this place and getting a house with a big yard.  I just feel bad that we won’t be there to defend Jeremy anymore against John.”  Dean rested his cheek on the top of Cas’ head as he talked.  This was his future, and he wasn’t going to let an asshole like Patrick tear them apart.

 

“I love you too, Dean.  So, I should contact the university?”  Cas asked.

 

“Absolutely.  And then we’re going to do this very discretely.  When you leave your current job you will just let your higher ups know that you’re leaving your position, but make sure that they are under no circumstances to tell anyone where you will be moving to teach.  We can talk to a lawyer, let them know that their current inability to keep you safe is your reason for leaving, and that if they give your information out to anyone, you will sue.”  Dean planned to see what information Sam could get his hands on regarding that.  Moving to South Dakota was pointless if Patrick knew where they were going and followed.

 

“I’m going to have the mail forwarded to a P.O. box here instead of to one in South Dakota, that way, in case Patrick happens to come across a forwarded piece, he won’t see that we’ve moved there.  It’s safer than having anything forwarded to Gabe or Sam’s.”  Cas didn’t want to drag their brothers into this mess.  As far as he knew, Patrick still had no clue that Sam was related to Dean, and there was no way he wanted Gabe or Anna getting involved in this mess.  He wouldn’t have even told Anna or Jeremy if Gabe hadn’t brought it up t0 them at Christmas.  Since then his sister had been a neurotic mess.  They didn’t need to be worrying about him along with the mess that was going on with John.  As it was, the entire family had too much stress going on.  Dean held him close, continuing to run his fingers through his boyfriend’s unruly hair.

 

“Hey, we’re doing ok, you know that, right?  Kate left John and took Adam, and he doesn’t get visitation because of the documented abuse, so I doubt he’ll keep his shit together much longer at the church.  That means things will ease up soon for Jeremy and Anna.  Now you’re going to get a fantastic job up in South Dakota, and I’ll get to open a shop someplace that’s not so damn backwards and bigoted.  Sammy’s going to graduate, Lexi will go off to college, and we can come back every single summer, and at Christmas if it makes you feel better.  We’re strong.   _You’re_ strong.  We’ll get through this, babe.”

 

“I’m sorry, it’s just such a huge concern that you might end up resenting me down the road.”  Cas finally eased up on his hug and stood back.  He was still worrying his lower lip though.

 

“Not going to happen.  You working in SD?  You’re putting me _closer_ to the people I consider my parents.  Karen will love having us in state, even if we’re at the other end, it’s still closer than we currently are.  We’ll shake Patrick, and I know your family well enough that the moment we start talking about moving out of state, they’ll start checking out job opportunities and housing there, because they’ll want to be close to us.  To you.  Anna has voiced that concern to me several times already.  Jeremy could get work out of state, but I think your sister has been trying to get him to stay local because of you and Gabe.  As for Gabe,”  Dean shrugged,  “if he and Sam actually become a thing, he might stay. If they don’t, he’ll be on our doorstep the moment Lexi leaves for college.  We’re not going to lose family.  You can’t lose the people if you make as much of an effort as they do to stay in touch.”

 

“You really think Gabe would follow us?”  A small smile found its way up onto Cas’ lips.  

 

“I’ll bet Sammy can’t stay away either.  He’ll want to be close to family once he has his law degree,”  Dean knew his brother well.

 

“Ok, I’ll go and email them now, then I’ll get back to finishing the baskets.  Oh, I made one for Luke too.”  Cas said as he started to leave.  Dean smiled.

 

“Yeah?  What did you include?”

 

“Teething toys, some age appropriate toddler toys, a toy cooking set to go with his play kitchen, and a few other things.  He’s still just a baby, so I didn’t put candy in it.  Maybe next year I’ll put a chocolate bunny or something in it.”  

 

Dean went back to his pie preparations.

 

“He’s going to love it.  And so will his mamas.”


	29. Chapter 29

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Easter was wonderful, and at Dean’s insistence, Cas broke the news to the entire family.  Sam was spending the holiday with them, and there were a lot of mixed emotions.  Everyone understood why Cas had to take a new position though.  

 

“What’s South Dakota like?  Is it nice?”  Jeremy asked.  Dean shared a knowing look with his boyfriend before turning his attention to Jeremy.

 

“It’s a red state, but it’s coming around as far as rights and stuff go.  I’ve never had an issue up there.  It gets cold in the winter, but I want a house with good insulation and a fireplace.  And we’ll get a snow blower.  Everything is manageable.  The view is spectacular.  Lots of places to go hiking, and lots of places to explore.  I’ve enjoyed every trip up there.”

 

“I enjoyed it too when we went to visit Bobby and Karen last November.  It really is beautiful,”   Cas added.

 

“And the university, is it close to them?”  Anna asked.

 

“About an hour away, actually.”  Cas replied.

 

“We’re thinking of getting a house a little out in the country, where it’s quiet and we can have a couple of acres.  Maybe the kids can come up in the summer for a week or two?”  Dean looked between Anna and Jeremy, both of whom shrugged and nodded.

 

“You sure you can handle all of them for a whole week?” she teased.

 

“Of course we can,”  Cas replied.

 

“Well, I’m coming to visit too.  Am I still going to have my own room?”  Lexi asked.  

 

“We plan to make sure we have several extra bedrooms.  And maybe a finished basement.”  Dean promised.  He looked over at his brother. whose expression was one of deep contemplation.

 

“What’s on your mind there, Sammy?”

 

“I was thinking, I actually looked into a few law firms here and a few in South Dakota.  I might move up that way too.  I’d like to be closer to Bobby and Karen and if you guys are up there too, that’s even better.”

 

Gabe looked completely distressed as he listened to Sam.  Lexi noticed and reached over to take his hand.  He offered her a weak smile.

 

“I feel like my family is falling apart.”  Anna sniffled and when Jeremy put an arm around her shoulders, she leaned into him.  “I don’t want to be far away from you or Gabe!”

 

Cas felt that ache in his chest that had been plaguing him lately.  He was torn between trying to stay and wait it out as he applied to other universities in state, or leaving and starting over in a new place.

“Well, I’ll see if maybe there are some good opportunities up there with churches,”  Jeremy said.

“Wait, and leave me here?”  Gabe cried.  “I don’t think so!”

“I told you they wouldn’t let us go without coming with.  We’re family,”  Dean said softly so only Cas would hear him.  His boyfriend smiled, finally starting to feel that ache in his chest beginning to abate.  Things really were going to be alright.


	30. Chapter 30

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

“Hey Dean, John’s here.”  Benny nodded towards the open bay door where John Winchester was pacing.  Dean set down his wrench and pulled the rag out of his back pocket to wipe his hands off as he walked out to greet him.

 

“What are you doing here?”

John stopped and glared at him, not that he had ever gotten any kind of greeting in the last 14 years.

“Kate, she’s gone.  She took my _son_.”

Dean slowly tucked the rag back into his pocket.

“Ok.  That doesn’t explain why you’re here at my shop.”

“Where is she?”  John demanded.

“Like I’d tell you.”

It took John two steps and he was in Dean’s face, his brown eyes reflecting a rage so strong it actually scared Dean for a moment.

“You have _no right_ to interfere in _my_ family’s business, you son of a bitch!”

Dean bristled and shoved John back.

“You know, once upon a time me and Sam were your family too, you fucking _asshole_!”

The cords on John’s neck stood out, and his face turned red.  In that moment he looked less like a human and more like the monster Dean had come to believe he really was.

“Vengeance is mine, says the lord!  You will not raise a hand, not in God’s name and certainly not in your own name, unless you want a bullet right between the eyes.  You don’t come on this here property and threaten Dean or anyone else.  Ain’t nobody here gonna tell you a damn thing.  Now leave, before the police get here, and they _will_ get here.”  Benny had a gun aimed right at John.  Dean backed up quickly, coming to stand beside his friend.

“You’re all going to burn in hell!”  John snarled, his spit flying everywhere as he hurled his warning.  “There is no redemption for sinners such as you!”

“Funny enough, I ain’t too worried about where _you_ think my soul’s gonna end up.  If I were you, _pastor_ , I’d worry more about where _your_ soul is headed,”  Benny said coolly.  Sirens in the distance gave Dean a sense of relief.  John heard them too.  He turned and stormed off, muttering a biblical passage neither Dean nor Benny could quite catch.

“Fuck, he’s snapped.”  Dean ran a hand through his hair.  His nerves were fried after that encounter.  “Thinking I should tell Kate to move somewhere else.  Eventually he’s going to figure out where she is and come after her.  He wants Adam back.  He’s not going to let her take his prodigal son.”

“The police there know he’s a threat, right?  I’d call her, let her know what he did here, and tell her to notify the police up there, in case he shows up.”  Benny tucked his gun into the back of his pants and pulled his shirt over it just as the first of two police cars pulled up.

“Not gonna mention the gun?”  Dean asked.

“Nope,”  Benny said.

“Why not?”

“Because John’s not either,”  Benny explained.  Dean frowned, puzzled by that.

“And why is that exactly?”

“Because he was carrying, too.”

Dean felt the fear, cold as ice, sliding through his veins.  Things with John Winchester were getting out of control.

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/EZmNvHC)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Jody, he showed up at my shop with a _gun_ , demanding I tell him where Kate and Adam are.  He does that shit again, and I’ll have his ass arrested.  I won’t have my life threatened because he’s unstable and unwilling to admit it.”  Dean sat forward in his chair and shifted the phone at his ear a bit so it fit more comfortably.  After the ordeal with the police, he had called the church immediately.  Jody sighed heavily on the other end of the line.

“Between you and me, and you can’t say a word of this to anyone that might tell John but…we had a council meeting last night.  We’ve let John go.  He’s no longer a pastor at our church.  Chuck intends to meet with him and tell him since John was supposed to give the 9 a.m. sermon this Sunday.  He wants to tell John before he shows up ready to give it.”

“I suggest you be careful.  Might even be wise to cancel church this Sunday.  I have a really bad feeling.”  Dean couldn’t shake the growing sense of dread that John hadn’t fully snapped yet, but that when he did, things were going to get really, really bad.

“I can’t do that, Dean.  We can’t live in fear.  I have faith that John will see reason.  He already agreed to the therapy.”  Dean heard her words, but there was an uncertainty behind them, as if she doubted her own words.

“If he hurts Kate, or he hurts anyone at all in my family, I’m holding the church fully responsible.  You gave that monster control, and now he’s threatening the people I love.  I’ve always respected you and the council, but I tell you, he comes back here again, or he goes after my family, we’re not going to be on good terms anymore,” he warned.

“I can only do so much, Dean.  I do not run the church, I am part of a group of people that must work together and agree before decisions are made.  You’ve known this your entire life.  I don’t know what it is that you expect me to do!”

Take some responsibility for your mistakes.  Do more than just talk to John.  He’s a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off and telling him he lost his job, his only purpose in life?  That’s going to be the final straw; I’m warning you.  He hasn’t been right in the head since my mother died.  I don’t even recognize him anymore.  If you won’t cancel church, I’m at least telling Jeremy not to bring his family on Sunday.  They’re my family too, and I don’t want those kids there if John shows up.”

Dean didn’t wait for an answer, he just hung up.  He was frustrated and felt like no one was really listening.  The police had advised him earlier to just file a trespassing complaint and get on with his life.  The church wasn’t going to heed his warning.  He couldn’t shake the feeling that something truly awful was about to happen.

 


	31. Chapter 31

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Cas came home to the smell of bacon simmering in a frying pan, and it made his stomach rumble.  Following his nose to the kitchen, he found Dean at the stove, singing along to music that was spilling out of his phone as he cooked.

“Are we actually alone this evening?”  he joked.  Dean laughed and looked back over his shoulder at him.

“Can you believe it?  But seriously, Gabe did stop by, but only to drop off some wine.  Apparently the restaurant got in a double shipment and can’t return it.  It’s too much wine for them to sell before it expires, so he dropped two bottles off to us.”

“Oh, that was nice of him.  I hope it’s decent.”  Cas headed to the bedroom to get changed into something more comfortable.  When he returned to the kitchen Dean was draining the grease out of the cooked meat.

“What are you making with that?” he asked.

“A macaroni casserole.  I’m going to freeze it so we have it for a night we don’t feel like cooking,”  Dean explained.

“What’s for dinner tonight?  Do you need help making it?”

“Nah, it’s in the oven right now.  Made a parmesan chicken bake.  It’ll be done shortly.  I made a pasta salad to go with it, based on the one I like from Olive Garden.”

Now that he mentioned it, Cas could smell tomatoes, garlic, and chicken over the thick scent of bacon.  It made his stomach rumble.

“Sounds delicious.”  He took down the plates and two wine glasses, and started setting the table while Dean got the macaroni casserole ingredients mixed and put into the oven.

“Hey, I got something to tell you.  Something happened today,”  Dean said as he slipped the casserole into the oven and took the chicken out.

“What happened?”  Cas had found the wine bottle Dean had left open to breathe and was pouring it into their glasses.  He paused, looking up expectantly as he waited for the man to elaborate.

“So John’s been fired.  I found that out after I called Jody to tell her that he showed up at the garage.  Armed.  He was demanding I tell him where Kate and Adam are.”

Cas nearly dropped the bottle of wine.  He set it down a bit too hard, nearly knocking it over before he could steady it.

“What do you mean by armed?  Did he pull a gun on you?”

“No.  Benny pulled a gun on _him_.  John had one at his waist though.  Benny saw it.  Garth called the cops when John got in my face and after Benny pulled a gun on him and told him to leave, he did, but not until he heard the cops coming.”  Dean set the pan of chicken on the table.  “I called Jeremy, told him not to do his 11 a.m. sermon Sunday, but he refused.  He said he has to be there for the congregation; however, he is making Anna and the kids stay at home.”

Cas worried his lower lip between his teeth as he thought.

“Anna will worry about him.  She won’t willingly stay home, but she won’t endanger the kids either.  What should we do?  We have to do something to help.”

“I’ll take Sam, head down to the church to keep an eye out.  You go to Anna’s and sit with her until church is over.”  Dean said it like it was the most logical decision ever.

“Dean, I don’t want you there either.  Not if John’s really the danger you believe he is.”

“Babe, Sam and me, we’re both armed.  We’ll be ok,”  Dean spoke with confidence.

“No, if you’re going to the church, so am I.  I’ll get Gabe to go to Anna’s and make sure she stays there.  And don’t try to argue with me.  I can be just as stubborn as you,”  Cas said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

“Fine.  But you’re making that call to Gabe.  Not me.  And I’m carrying.  So are you.  Sam will be carrying too.  I’m not letting anyone get hurt, not by John, not by anyone else.”  Dean set a piece of the cheese and sauce covered chicken on Cas’ plate and grabbed his glass of wine.  “I don’t want you getting hurt either, but if you insist on being stubborn, you’re going in prepared.  I have a Kevlar vest too that I want you to wear.”

Cas watched as Dean took a sip of wine.  He was seriously scared.  Scared or not, he wasn’t letting Dean go into a potentially dangerous situation without him.

“Fine, but I’m investing in two more for you and Sam.”

In that moment neither man knew which one was more stubborn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sunday turned out to be anticlimactic.  Each man sat in a different spot in the pews, alternating between watching the doors and watching Jeremy who was an obvious nervous mess.  John didn’t show his face though, and afterward they met up with Gabe, Anna, and the kids.  Lexi had to work so therefore Todd didn’t come either.

                                                                            

Anna was upset and doing a poor job of hiding it from her children, but she was at least relieved that her husband, brother, Dean and Sam were all still in one piece.  She fussed over them all to the point where Cas wanted to glue her down to her chair.

“I’m fine, sis, we’re all fine.  Relax!”  He tried not to sound snippy, but she flinched back nonetheless.

“I’m sorry!  I worry about you guys!  Since Jody called to tell us how John reacted to losing his job, we’ve been on edge but him showing up at the garage and making threats didn’t help ease my concerns.  I can’t help but be afraid for my family.”  She crossed her arms and frowned.  Gabe was sitting to her left and patted her arm gently.

“Hey, we get it, trust me.  We’re all on edge with this mess.  But Dean’s not going to let anything happen to Cassie, or to you guys when you’re in that church,” he told her.

“I’m tempted not to bring the kids,”  Jeremy said.  Dean and Sam both nodded in agreement.

“Well, for a few weeks at least, can someone take them?  Like on a vacation, so it’s not as suspicious?”  Dean asked.

“Sean has school.  He’s not out for another month,”  Anna replied.

“Oh, dang,”  Dean looked at Cas, who shrugged.

“I can take the kids on Sunday mornings, keep them at our place,”  Cas offered.

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.  We can take them on Saturday nights and then meet you on Sunday mornings for brunch,”  Dean agreed.  He turned to face Cas.  “I’ll still go to the church.  Maybe seeing me and Sam there will deter him.”

“I don’t like it.”  Cas confessed.  He leaned into Dean’s side until an arm came up around his shoulders, then he leaned in closer.

“I’m keeping everyone safe as much as I can,”  Dean said softly in his ear.

“I know.  And I _still don’t like it._ ”

Dean chuckled softly and kissed the side of his head.  The mood over their group was still tense, but at least they were talking about things other than John Winchester.  Gabe was talking softly with Sam and he noticed when the older man brushed his brother’s hand lightly, and Sam didn’t pull his hand back.  He nudged Cas to point it out.

“No one has said anything to me yet,”  Cas whispered.

“Me either,”  Dean said.

“So, are we going to do something for Sam’s birthday?”  Anna asked.  Suddenly all eyes were on Sam who looked like a deer in the headlights.

“You don’t have to do anything.”

“Nonsense.  You’ve become a part of our family, and we throw parties.  Perhaps this time without inviting members from the church.  We did a January barbecue for Dean.  I think you had to work and couldn’t switch hours,”  Anna looked at Dean who nodded.

“Yep, and it was _good._ So much good food.  Me and Jer were out there freezing as we made ribs and burgers.  We had a blast though.  Good music, good food, poker.  Cas won three games.  He’s almost as good as us.”

Sam chuckled.  “I wish I could have taken off but Ruby had time off and so did Cole, and then Gordon came down with a nasty flu.  We all tried not to get it when he came back.  He was sweating so bad during Egyptian night that it looked like he was melting as the gold body paint just slid right off.  Crowley sent him home to wait out the last of the fever.”

“I got sick once during the winter.  And so did most of the dancers.  It was horrible; Crowley freaked out so bad he almost closed the club for the weekend.  Instead, he apologized, gave free entry to everyone, and knocked the acts down to one a night.  It worked and by the following weekend we were good to go again.”  Cas said.

The conversation eased up from there as Anna began making plans for Sam’s birthday.  It eased her anxiety and gave her something new to focus on.  Sam listened, a happy smile on his face because someone cared enough to want to throw him a party.  Gabe said something every now and then, only loud enough for him to hear, and it would bring a bigger smile to his face, and make him laugh.

This was the happiest Cas had seen his brother in years.  As they ate, he watched the way Gabe’s eyes sparkled whenever Sam spoke to him, and the subtle way the younger man kept finding ways to touch him, which would make Gabe blush softly.  Glancing over at his own boyfriend he found Dean watching them too, a fond, amused smile on his lips.  Anna apparently noticed too because there was a knowing smirk on her lips as she met Cas’ eye.  He grinned before stuffing his mouth with a piece of his Belgian waffle.  For the moment, everyone was happy.  He hoped it stayed like that.


	32. Chapter 32

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Dean happened to be standing in the parking lot, checking under the hood of a customer’s car when he spotted him.  It was from the corner of his eye, but there was no way he’d miss the son of a bitch.  He stood up sharply, glaring angrily.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”  he snarled.  Patrick looked out of place in a polo shirt and jeans, but the typical smug smile was on his face.  His eyes roved over Dean’s dirty tee shirt and jeans, his smile turning to a look of disdain.

“I honestly don’t know what Castiel could ever see in someone like you.  He’s leagues above you.”

Dean bristled, his hands clenching into fists as he tried to contain his rage.

“Well, that right there says a lot about what a phlegmatic _asshole_ you are.  Yeah, Mr. Professor Dickhead, I know what the word _phlegmatic_ means, and do you know why?  Because I went to college, and I _graduated_. But Cas doesn’t need me to speak in big words when the simple ones get the point across. He’s not a God, he’s human, fallible, and he’s _mine_. If you think coming around here, trying to intimidate me, is going to work, you’ve got another think coming. You see, Cas is everything to me.  He’s the man I’m going to marry, start a family with, and spend the rest of my life kissing, touching, and loving.  I’m not one for intimidation tactics and frankly, one person has already been chased off my property by force. I can make it twice, if you feel like getting a bullet in your ass.  I have a restraining order against you, just like Cas does, and _you_ are fully aware of that.  So, I’m sure you won’t mind one bit when the police arrive to remove you from my property.”

Patrick’s glare would ordinarily be something intimidating and frightening for the normal person, but Dean had never been easily intimidated.  Ever since he had gotten away from John and the pastor’s domineering ways, he’d learned how to be strong.  This guy was nothing.  A police car pulled up in front and to Dean’s delight, Maddie got out.

“Dean, what’s going on here?”  Her voice was full of authority, despite her tiny size.  She came to stand beside him, her brown eyes hard as she stared at Patrick.

“He is violating the restraining order I have against him.  He’s not supposed to come anywhere near me, my _fiancé_ (and oh the look of shock and fury on Patrick’s face was totally worth the little lie!), or my place of business.  He’s not supposed to go near Cas’ classrooms or office either, but he just keeps on violating it.  And for the record, it’s been recorded each time he broke the law.”  It was Dean’s turn to smile smugly.

“You son of a-”

“Sir!”  Maddie snapped.  Patrick slammed his mouth shut mid-sentence and glared. She turned to look at Dean. “Do you have a copy of the restraining order?”

He turned and motioned to Benny, who was standing at the open bay watching the entire thing.  “Benny!  Can you go in my top desk drawer and get out the copy of the restraining order?”

Benny nodded and went inside.  Dean turned an icy glare on Patrick once again.

“I know you think I’m just a lowly mechanic with no education that’s trying to worm my way into upper society, but trust me, you’re _not_ upper society, and if you were, Cas _still_ wouldn’t want anything to do with you.  Oh, and along with the degree I earned?  This is _my_ shop.  You are not welcome here, and no one here will work on any vehicle you bring in.  Besides, you don’t even live in town, you live up by the university.  This is a half hour out of your way, so if you came just to insult me and try to scare me off, it’s not going to work.”

“Dean,”  Maddie shushed him softly.  He understood though, she didn’t want this already tense situation escalating further.  Benny came jogging over, handing the paper directly to Maddie just as a second police car pulled up.

“This is a load of shite!”  Patrick spat when the second cop started walking over.  Maddie scanned the restraining order.  It was current, and clearly stated that he was not to approach Dean or his shop.  She handed it back to Dean who folded it and tucked it in his back pocket.

“It’s all in order.  Read him his rights and get him out of here.  Take him down to the station, and I’ll meet you there.”  Maddie told the other officer.  His nametag read Cazonsky.  The man was huge, even bigger than Sam, and Patrick didn’t even put up a fuss as he was handcuffed.  Dean could hear his rights being read to him as he was led away.  Maddie turned her attention back to Dean.

“I’m guessing you want to press charges.”

“Darn right I do.  He keeps harassing Cas and now he’s showing up at my shop.  He keeps coming around our condo too, but runs off before you guys get a chance to show up.  And the university has threatened Cas to stop calling the police on Patrick because, and I quote, ‘It’s giving the university a bad reputation.’  They’ve basically told him if he persists, Cas will lose his job.”  Dean was still irritated as he explained that to her.

“I don’t understand, if he’s harassing a teacher, or professor, he’s a professor, right?”  Dean nodded.  “Ok, so if he’s a professor, why would _his_ job be in danger?  I’d think the school would want to keep their staff and students safe.”

“Because Patrick is a professor there too, with quite a few years up on Cas, so they favor him over a first year professor.  Cas is in a state of constant agitation now when he’s on campus.  Patrick follows him around, pops into his office uninvited, and has even tried accosting him off campus.  Off campus you bet your ass we call the police.  He’s stalking Cas, and he’s trying to get me to break up with him because he thinks Cas will want him.  It’s been ongoing for years now, but it was localized to Cas’ last place of business.  He never ran into Patrick outside of there, so there were no issues until Cas got the job at the university.  Now the guy knows where Cas works, where he lives, and now he knows where I work.  He’s delusional.  Cas is repulsed by him and tells him off regularly, but the guy just won’t take a hint!”

Maddie shook her head, saddened and upset by the failure of the law to keep them both safe.

“Well, come on down, press charges, and we’ll get him locked up.  I’m sure that won’t look good for the university when they find out he was locked up for stalking and harassment.  And just who’s going to teach his classes when I file for a later court date?”  She tapped her chin before smiling and shrugging.  “Sometimes I just forget those things, and that people don’t _like_ being locked up the _whole weekend_.”

Benny and Dean both broke into delighted laughter.

“I’ll meet you down there in about 20.  First I’m going to change and wash my hands,”  Dean told her.

“Alright.  Just ask for me and someone will walk you back to my desk.”  With a wave she headed back towards her car.

“So that’s Patrick,”  Benny said.

“Unfortunately.”

“Is the stalking getting worse?” he asked.

Dean shrugged.  “I dunno, maybe?  I think he’s watching the house, waiting for me to leave before he starts trying to get into our building.  We’ve informed the building security and the association that owns the place.  He can’t even get in the building, not that he hasn’t tried.  I have no idea what goes through the mind of someone like him.  Seriously, there’s not a chance in hell that Cas would ever leave me for him, and yet he seems to cling tight to this fantasy that one day Cas will realize how stupid and pathetic I am, and that suddenly he’ll want a man of ‘vastly superior intelligence,’ and that person will be Patrick, who will come sweeping in and ‘rescue’ him.  He tells Cas constantly that he’s too good for me, and that he deserves to be with someone highly educated, like him.  He’s delusional.  Cas has to restrain himself from punching the bastard on campus.”

“Cas would never leave you.  No one in their right mind ever leaves the person they’re in love with to start dating their stalker.  Sounds like he needs some medical intervention.  Psychiatric, to be specific,”  Benny said.

“Understatement,” he agreed.

Dean headed inside to change into the spare clothes he kept on hand and message Cas.  The man was at the store, doing some shopping for dinner that night since Sam and Gabe were supposed to be coming over.  After changing and scrubbing his hands and arms, he headed out to his car.  At least there was a small comfort to be found in the fact that Patrick wouldn’t be bothering them for the rest of the weekend.  Thank God for small miracles.

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/EZmNvHC)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cas was standing in the baking aisle with Sam when the text from Dean came through.

“Oh, shit!”

“What?”  Sam had tagged along to go shopping and stopped reading the back of a cake mix box to look up at him.

“Patrick showed up at the shop.  Dean had him arrested!”

Sam stuck the box back on the shelf, no longer interested in a gooey, triple chocolate cake with pudding in the mix.  Now he wanted to know what the hell was happening down at the shop.

“Damn, so he figured out where Dean works.  What happened?”

“I don’t know exactly, he’s on his way to the police station and can’t talk.  He said he’ll tell us when he gets home.  Asked me to pick up pecans.  Tomorrow he wants to make a pie.”  Cas tucked his phone away and grabbed the cart handle.  “He told Benny to close up after the last customer, so he’ll be home in less than an hour.  I won’t have dinner done by that time!”

“How much is Patrick bugging you still?  He doesn’t show his face at the club anymore.  I mean, he’s banned, but he’s not even back trying to sweet talk Crowley like a lot of people do.”  Sam fell in step beside Cas as he hurried down the next aisle, tossing things in the cart for dinner.

“Every single day.  It’s ridiculous.  It’s a nightmare, I swear.  You’ve seen the sign on my door.  Once my secretary goes home for the night, I lock the outer door and my students have to call my office line or I won’t open the door for them.  I can’t tell them why, so they think I’m being paranoid.  Except Patrick was standing down the hall one afternoon when one of my students came by, and he tried to bully his way into my office.  I had to forcibly shove him out and lock the door.  Student asked me if everything was ok, I sort of bullshitted my way out of that conversation.  The next time I had class though, I could hear students whispering about how I had to forcibly resist the advances of a history professor, and well, I didn’t need to be the topic of discussion, nor do I need them speculating about a possible romance between me and Patrick.  The very idea of it makes me sick.  I nipped it very quickly.  Told the class that I am in a committed relationship, and that my partner is _not_ another professor.  I may or may not have implied that I was engaged to your brother.  Don’t tell him that though,”  Cas chuckled.  Sam snickered and patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry.  Whatever nips it and stops the spread of rumors.  The last thing you need is them thinking you like Patrick and that they can play matchmakers.”

He pulled a box of mashed potatoes off the shelf and popped it in the cart.

“Oh!  Potatoes!  I need a bag.  Dean refuses to eat mashed potatoes from a box, so we make them from scratch.”  Cas turned the cart and started for the produce aisle.

“What are we having for dinner tonight?”  Sam asked.

“Well, I was thinking of making a lasagna, but I need a few more things for during the week. Dean gets home before me Monday through Friday, so dinner is on the table and waiting when I get home. On the weekends, I do the cooking. It’s not even, but he is adamant about doing most of the cooking. I concede because it means I don’t have to cook.” Cas chuckled as they moved between rows of tomatoes, avocados, peppers, and squash until they reached the potatoes. He selected a 10-pound bag and added it to the cart.

They got the ingredients for the lasagna, and Sam got extras for himself since Cas promised to show him how to make one, and then they were heading back to the condo.  He got Sam involved in making it so the process would go faster, and it was in the oven cooking before Dean walked in the front door.  Cas met him in the living room as he was resetting the alarm.

“Well?”

“He’s not going in front of a judge til Monday at the earliest.  I’m going to go down to the courthouse, make my presence known.  I’m taking Benny with me too since he witnessed the whole thing.   We’re making sure the judge knows he’s a nuisance.  Not sure it will work.  Maddie admitted that he has a record of previous similar behavior.  Couldn’t give me details, but he had a restraining order put against him in college for harassing a classmate he was romantically involved with.  They broke up with him, he wasn’t ready for it to be over so he followed the person around for months on end trying to get them to come back.  Maddie wouldn’t say if it was a man or a woman, but I got the impression it was a guy. It ended with the person filing a restraining order, and then moving out of state and changing their name so Patrick couldn’t follow.  The same thing happened about ten years ago, and then three years back. Point is, he has a history of this behavior, and hopefully it will prove that he’s a danger, so he’ll get longer than a weekend in jail,”  Dean explained.

Cas leaned against the back of the couch, the knuckles of his closed hand pressed lightly against his lips as he listened.

“Should I go too?”

“No.  I don’t want you around him if you don’t have to be.  The university will know what kind of people they have on their staff, and it won’t be me telling them.  It won’t be you either.”  Dean talked as he took his boots off.  When he stood back up he sniffed the air.  “What’s for dinner?”

“Lasagna.  Homemade.  I was about to pop some garlic bread in the oven,”  Cas replied.

“Gabe’s not here yet?”  Dean asked as he followed Cas back into the kitchen.  He nodded at his brother, who was busy setting the table.

“No.  He wanted to go home and take a shower before coming over.  He was covering an early shift for another chef,”  Cas replied.

“Is he bringing more of that wine?”

“Why, do you like it that much?”  Cas wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and pulled him close.

“I’m not a huge fan of wine, but that stuff’s really good.”

After sharing a tender kiss, Cas got the bread into the oven.  Just as he was pulling the lasagna out, there came the sound of keys in the front door, and then the alarm being reset. A few seconds later Gabe was walking in the kitchen.

“Hey.”  Sam greeted him first. Cas cocked an eyebrow and looked at Dean in amusement.  Dean chuckled softly as he went to pull the garlic bread out of the oven.

“Hey yourself.”  Gabe smiled wide, staring a beat too long before turning to his brother and holding out a bottle of wine.  “I snagged a bottle.  Dean-o told me how much he likes it.”

“Thank you; I’ll get the glasses down.”

Once everyone was seated around the table with plates of food and their glasses filled, Dean filled Gabe in on everything that had happened that day.  He’d been sending heart eyes to Sam before that, and after he was too angry to do much more than glance in the man’s direction.

“What the hell?  They knew he had a history of this, and they didn’t do more with Cassie’s _first_ complaint?”

“His record spans three states, so they only had what was right in front of them.  Maddie had to hunt for his records,”  Dean replied.

“Who is Maddie?”  Cas thought the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Remember when John hit you?  She was the officer that came to interview us here.  She was the first one to respond today.  I was glad it was someone I knew that showed up.”

“Oh, that’s right, you went to highschool with her.”  It suddenly clicked for Cas.

“Wait, Maddie Douglas or Maddie Howard?”  Sam asked.

“Howard.  Tiny little cheerleader is now a cop,” Dean laughed. Sam joined in.

“Dang, she barely came to my chest in high school, and I was still two years behind her.  She was beautiful though.  I had a mad crush on her back then.”

Cas saw the way his brother tried not to look bothered by Sam’s words, so he decided to change the subject.

“How are Lexi and Todd doing?  He really seems to be crazy about her.”

“Good, they’re good.  They went on a date tonight.  He was taking her to the movies. I let him borrow my van. I drove here in his car. We’ve been swapping cars like that for their dates. It’s easier that way,”  Gabe explained.

“They come over here at least once a week.  I like him; he’s good for her.”  Dean said.  Gabe nodded.

“I was skeptical of him in the beginning, but the more I got to know him, I had to admit that I like the kid.  It worried me that he might not really be serious about Lexi, but he is.  He tells her she’s beautiful, has introduced her to all of his friends, and I heard that a couple of those people gave him some shit for having a disabled girlfriend.  He cut them out of his life, told them if they can’t accept Lexi and be nice to her, they have no place in his life.  That was kind of the real turning point for me.  I realized he was serious.  A few weeks back I heard him telling her that he loved her.  She said it back.  That’s completely surreal for me.”

“Kids grow up so fast.  Soon Anna’s will be in high school and dating.  I’m not ready for that,”  Dean frowned.

“Well, ask Faith and she’ll tell you she’s going to marry Sam.”  Cas teased.  As predicted, the younger man blushed.

“I seriously don’t know why she likes me so much, but I am pretty crazy about her.  About all of the kids, actually.  Your family is great.”  Sam glanced at Gabe before blushing even harder.

“So tell me, what’s going on between you two.”  Dean waggled his fork in his brother and Gabe’s directions. Both men stared at him like deer in the headlights.

 

“What, um, do you mean, exactly?”  Gabe asked casually before shoveling more lasagna in his mouth.

“You know exactly what he means.  You’re going down to see him at the club; Cole told me as much.  Stop trying to pretend there’s not something between you two,”  Cas said.  Gabe blushed even harder but didn’t respond.  Finally Sam threw his hands up in the air.

“So what?  He comes to see me once or twice a week.  I eat and we sit and talk on my lunch breaks, and he’ll stick around to watch my shows.  Sometimes, if I’m getting off a little earlier, we will go eat at the diner down the street.”

“You guys have been dating all this time?  How long?”  Dean asked.  Both Sam and Gabe looked shocked.

“No, no, we’re not… _dating_!”  Gabe exclaimed.

“Yeah, we’re not. It’s just…” Sam squinted as he searched for the right word.

“Dating?”  Cas supplied, one eyebrow cocked in question.  Sam groaned and rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t arguing.

“Jesus, you two are old enough to talk through your feelings and tell one another how you feel.  Even Cas and I do that, and I hate talking about feelings,”  Dean complained.  “Sam, Gabe’s in love with you.  Gabe, Sam feels the same way about you.  Suck it up, talk to each other and go somewhere and have sex.  I am so glad we don’t live together anymore; there’s no way I’d want to hear that!”

Sam glared at his brother until a hand tentatively touched his knee, drawing his attention over to the amber eyes looking at him.  He could see the fear and worry in them, but there was something else there too.  Setting down his fork he covered Gabe’s hand with his own.

“Dean was always able to read me better than anyone else.”

Gabe laughed.  He knew how that was.

“Yes, Anna and Cas both have that knack.”

“So, _how_ long have you two been dating without actually calling it dating?”  Cas teased.

“About six months,”  Sam replied.

“Yes, I thought it was about that long.”  Cas poured them all some more wine.  “Let’s celebrate.”

“To what?”  Sam asked.

“To falling in love, and finding happiness.”  Dean offered.  Cas nodded in agreement as he lifted his glass.  The other two men lifted theirs as well.

“To falling in love and finding happiness.”  They all said.  Cas really hoped Gabe and Sam would be happy for a long time to come.


	33. Chapter 33

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

“Guess who I just saw down at the Shop-A-Lot,”  Benny said as he walked into the shop.  Dean looked up from the carburetor he was installing.

“Don’t make me guess.”

“John Winchester.  He apparently has given up his stance on alcohol.  Maybe he has accepted that men like him go south when their time is up, not north.”  Benny replied as he joined Dean in working on a ’73 Dodge Challenger.

“John was buying alcohol?  This early in the morning?”  Dean frowned.  John had always been completely against alcohol.  This didn’t make sense.

“Yep.  Two 24 packs of Coors.  Judging by the looks of him, it wasn’t his first time.”  Benny grabbed a wrench and got to work.  Dean, on the other hand, was still busy pondering what it meant for John to be drinking.  It was always something he considered one of the worst sins.

“Was he sober?”

Benny shrugged.  “I didn’t get close enough to check.  Honestly, after pulling a gun on him, I really didn’t want him to notice me.  But, he looked rather, unkempt.”

Dean worried his lower lip as he thought.  He set down the carburetor and pulled his rag out.  As he cleaned the grease off his hands, he started for the back room.

“I’m going to go grab a couple of the breakfast sandwiches down at Schmitty’s.  I’ll be back in a few.  You want one?”

Benny looked up with a smile.  “Sure.  The maple bacon one.”

Dean gave a brief salute and went to wash his hands.

Out on the road, Dean went right, rather than left towards Schmitty’s.  Their town wasn’t huge by any means and after two turns, he was in the residential area where John and Kate Winchester’s house sat.  It was not hard to miss, the biggest, most ostentatious house on the block.  Sitting in the center of the block, this house had been his parents’ house before Mary Winchester had died.  After, it had become a prison to Dean and Sam both.  He drew to a stop out front and took a good, long look.  Truthfully, he had deliberately avoided coming down this street from the moment he had left.  His heart ached as he looked up at it.  The memories of his mother were only fleeting now.  The smell of freshly baked apple pie.  Being tucked into bed at night after his prayers, and warm lips being pressed to his forehead.  The echo of _“I love you”_ , spoken softly and reverently.  His throat tightened as he realized he no longer remembered what her voice had sounded like, or whether her eyes were green or blue.  He blinked back the tears that threatened to spill and took a calming breath.

The next time he looked up at the house, he saw it from a neutral point of view.  The structure of the house itself looked good, but it looked like it had been a few weeks, maybe months since John’s anal retentive maintenance had been done.  Years of paying other people to maintain it meant the paint should have been perfect, except it wasn’t.  It was covered in layers of grime and looking rather dingy.  The shutters, a rather new addition, were dirty and the lawn was several weeks overgrown.  This was not how John Winchester lived.  He’d always prided himself on having a pristine, perfect house that everyone would be envious of.  Not very godly, Dean had always thought, but then again John was everything that was wrong with religion nowadays.

He didn’t know what was going on, but the feeling that John was spiraling grew stronger.  The man was a bomb just waiting to go off, but how he would finally crack was anyone’s guess.  With one last worried glance at the house, he drove on.  It was time to grab the sandwiches, but he couldn’t get that little nagging doubt at the back of his mind to go away.


	34. Chapter 34

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

_“Dean!  He has a gun!  Run!  Now!  Get out of there!”_

Dean sat up sharply, gasping for air.  He jumped when he felt a hand touch his chest.

“Dean?  What happened?”

He swallowed hard before reaching over to turn on the lamp.

“I had one hell of a bad dream.”

Cas sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

“You were screaming in your sleep, crying out for help.”

“Yeah, uh, I dreamed John showed up at the shop with a gun, just started firing.  H-he killed Benny.”  Dean’s throat tightened just thinking about losing his friend. He resisted the urge to call and make sure Benny was alright.  Logically the man was at home, safe in his own bed, he wasn’t at the shop.

“Wow, what on earth would make you have a dream like that?  Does John even own guns?”  Cas asked.  Dean laughed bitterly and nodded.

“Oh yeah, he owns guns.  Lots of them.  He used to go hunting when I was a kid, with Bobby mostly.  Bagged deer, elk, bear, whatever was in the area for where he was hunting.  They’d go on these hunting trips and be gone for a week or so, and there would actually be peace in the house for once.  Kate would make us a cake or pie the day he left, and we boys actually would get to play in the yard like real kids.  Then he’d come back, and it would be back to his strict rules and hell on earth.  This was a handgun though.  There was a rifle slung over his back.”

“Do you think it could be a premonitory dream?”  Cas asked.

“What’s that?”

“Like seeing an event before it happens,”  Cas explained.

“I honestly don’t know.  I’ve had a few of those over the years, but nothing like this.  More like, I knew I’d win a free donut on a ticket, or I knew the light would turn red before it did.  I sure as hell never saw a killing spree happening before it took place.”  Dean scrubbed a hand down his face and dropped back onto his pillow.  When he looked over at his boyfriend, Cas looked concerned.

“He hasn’t interacted much with anyone since Kate and Adam left.  His behavior has been erratic since he was fired, from what Jeremy says, and he’s no longer sitting in on his sermons on Sundays.”

Cas, Dean and Sam had continued to go to church every Sunday morning for several weeks, until Dean had more work come in and he had to head down to the shop instead of the church.  Sam’s hours now included Sundays so he could take on a TA position at the university without losing any more hours, so he was generally too exhausted on Sunday mornings.  He still joined the family for Sunday brunch, except now instead of sitting beside Faith, he sat next to Gabe since they were sort of subtly dating.

Cas had continued to attend, but after several weeks of John not even showing up, he knew his work was done.  He began attending the Catholic church in the next town over, and then he would drive to meet everyone for breakfast.  Dean came when he could, which was most Sundays, but he’d have to return to the shop afterwards for an hour or two.  Word of mouth had brought more business recently, both from the university and from the club.  Cas’ former coworkers made the hour long trip just to have their car fixed the right way.  He appreciated every extra dollar he earned, and socked it away for a down payment on a new shop in South Dakota.

“Jody says he’s not doing so good.  He’s extremely bitter and angry.  More than ever before.  I know his temper.  He’s going to blow and someone’s going to get hurt.”  Dean turned his gaze towards the ceiling.  “He hates me.  I know he thinks it’s my fault that Kate left him, but if he hadn’t been an asshole she wouldn’t have.  This is all on him, but I know he holds me responsible.”

Cas laid back down, turning on his side to press up close against his boyfriend.

“Then he’s more unstable than we thought.  He can’t control Kate.  She left because it was what was best for her and her son. I hope he never finds them.”

“Yeah, me too.”  The terror that had colored his dream was finally starting to fade.  Dean lifted his hands to look at them.  For a split second he thought they were covered in blood, like in his dream.  When he blinked, it was gone.  The dream might be over, but there was a sense of dread that lingered.  His hands were shaking as he lowered them back to the bed.

“Are you alright?”  Cas tilted his head back so he could see Dean’s face.

“Yeah.  Got a weird feeling, but I’m ok.”

Cas hoped it was nothing more than just a dream.  Neither man slept easy the rest of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“So help me God, if you don’t get away from me, I am going to call security _and_ the police.  Again!”  Cas snapped.  He’d come out of his third Anatomy class of the day to find Patrick leaning against the wall across from his room.

“You still seeing that loser mechanic?”  Patrick stretched out the word loser.  Cas balled his fists and took a deep breath.  It was better than punching the bastard.

“This is the _last_ time I’m going to say this.  The only loser here is you.  Dean went to college, he has a degree, he is very successful, no matter what your opinion is of him.  I am _marrying_ him, do you understand that?  There was never, ever, _ever_ any chance of you swaying me or changing my mind. I find you physically and mentally repulsive.  You’re an asshole that apparently cannot understand the concept of a restraining order.  Now get out of here!”

Cas turned and started walking towards the elevator.  He didn’t want to take the stairs in case Patrick followed him.  A hand on his arm was his last straw.  He dropped his briefcase as he spun around, planting an open palm punch to the man’s chest.

Only to realize it wasn’t Patrick.

Sam was sitting in the middle of the hall, the wind knocked out of him.

“Oh my God, Sam!  I’m so sorry!”

He hurried to help the man back up.  “Oh, you’re going to be so bruised!  Fergus is going to be so mad!”

Sam coughed and managed to wheeze out a short laugh.

“It’s ok.  My bad for not saying your name louder.  I saw Patrick harassing you again, and he ran when he saw me.  I was coming to see if you wanted to get lunch with me.”

“Of course.  Are you ok?  I didn’t break anything, did I?”  Cas worried.

“No, but damn you pack one hell of a punch.  Felt like you pulled it at the last second.  I’d hate to feel a full hit from you,”  Sam joked.  Cas collected his briefcase, and they turned to make the walk to the cafeteria.

“I did pull it.  At the last moment I realized it wasn’t a shit brown blazer I was looking at, but a blue tee shirt.  I’m really sorry.”

“It’s cool.  I’ll explain it to Fergus.  He’ll make me cover up any bruises I have.”  Sam wasn’t all that worried.

“So what brings you to the science building today?  Just to ask me to lunch?”  Cas asked.

“Yeah.  But, uh, I was hoping to get some advice too.”

Cas was quiet for a moment as they exited the building and turned right.

“Is it about my brother?”

 

“So like, we’ve still been kind of casually dating, and that’s all fine and dandy, but it feels like he’s still holding back.  He’s all smiles when we’re together, and at least he’s finally touching me, like brushing his hand across mine, or leaning into me when we sit on the couch, but that’s it.  He hasn’t kissed me, held my hand, nothing.  It’s…frustrating.  I’m not exactly sure what I should do.”  Sam ran his fingers through his hair, something he did more often when he was anxious, Cas had noticed.

“Well, you know it’s been awhile since he’s been in any kind of relationship, right?  He’s…rusty on the whole ‘dating’ part.  I know he cares very, very much about you, though.  Is he still coming down to watch you dance?”

“Yes.  Sometimes it’s just once a week, sometimes two or three times.  We’ve had lunch together, usually while sitting in my car, and we talk at Sunday brunch and through text, but it’s not the easiest thing to get a read on the guy.  He’s kind of closed off,”  Sam said.

“I’m not surprised.  Most of the people he has tried to date over the years, they weren’t keen on the fact he had a disabled child.  Or the fact that he had a child at all, so he sort of just stopped dating.  You’re the first person he has really shown interest in, in years.  He’s crazy about you; I can see it in the way he looks at you and I hear it when he talks about you.  I think he’s worried that he’s too old, and that you’ll lose interest because you’re young and attractive.  He’s so lonely though.  You…make him happy.  I don’t think he fully realizes it, but you do.”

“He talks about me?”  Sam perked up at that.  Cas smiled and rolled his eyes fondly.

“Of course he does.  I hear about how perfect your body is from time to time, but mostly he talks about how smart you are, how passionate you are about law and the justice system, and how sweet you are.  I knew those things already, but hearing him talking about you?  There’s a certain affection there that tells me how much he cares.”

They reached the main building and started down the hall, towards the cafeteria.

“I think you should get tickets for something you both enjoy.  Find something you have in common, and invite him along.  A real date that isn’t rushed lunches at the club or dinner at my house.  Take him on a real date, then invite him back to your place afterwards.”

Sam considered his advice as they walked into the cafeteria.

“There’s a cooking show coming to town.  Benny’s wife can get tickets to it.  Think he’d like that?  Emeril Lagasse is supposed to host it.  I was already thinking of inviting him to go with me.”

“Do it. Emeril is his idol.” Cas knew his brother would kill to see Emeril live.

“Ok, I will.  I’m a little nervous though.  He’s intimidating for such a little man.  I don’t want to make a move and be shot down.”

Cas barked out a laugh of surprise.

“Don’t _ever_ say that to his face!  He’s sensitive about his height, and he’s always resented that I ended up taller than him.”

“I would never.”

“Why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow night, and I’ll invite him too.  You can invite him and if he tries to talk himself out of it, which I highly doubt he will, it’s Emeril after all, Dean and I will be there to talk some sense into him,”  Cas offered.  Sam grinned and nodded.

“Ok, what time?”

“Let’s aim for 6:30,”  Cas replied as they got into line.

“I’ll be there.”  Sam said.  He really hoped Gabe would say yes, and not just to the cooking show.  More than anything, he wanted to see if there was something more between him and Gabe.  This was the perfect opportunity.

 


	35. Chapter 35

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

After lunch with Sam, Cas headed to the last of his classes for the day.  He was tense as he climbed the stairs and went to his office.  Stupid Patrick put him on edge so much that he was always worried the man would pop up unexpectedly.  Patrick seemed neither hindered nor worried in the slightest by the restraining order against him, and the school was doing nothing to protect Cas from the man.  He was actually quite glad that he had accepted the new position in South Dakota.  There wasn’t enough distance in the world that he could put between himself and Patrick.

Three students stopped by over the course of the hour, each staying only a few minutes before leaving. At five, his cell phone rang. It was the shop.

“Hi, honey,” he greeted.

“Cas?  It’s Garth.”                                                

Immediately his stomach fell.

“Where’s Dean?  Is he ok?”

“He’s…”  Garth made a choking noise that had Cas’ heart leaping into his throat.

“He’s _what_?!”

“Um, so John Winchester, he, uh…”  Garth, he realized, was crying.

“Please tell me Dean’s alive,”  Cas begged.  He didn’t know what had happened, but if Garth was calling him in tears, it was something really, really bad.

“Yeah, yeah, he is.  But, uh, fuck, John walked up and just, he had guns, Cas.  He started shooting, and he shot Benny, and he shot Dean, and he shot Tessa.  She’s…”  Garth let out a strangled sob.

“Oh my God!  No!”  Cas was already on his feet, shoving everything into his bag.  “What hospital?”

“Uh, Unity, not St. Mary’s,”  Garth replied.  “Dean fired back.  I didn’t even know he had a gun.  He shot John, but, he’s gone.”

“What do you mean by ‘he’s gone’?  John died?”  Cas paused in shoving papers into his bag.  “Did Dean kill John?”

“No, no, like, he fired back but John ran back to his car and drove off.  We can see blood, so he definitely has a bullet or two in him.  Dean, he told me to call you and tell you to find Sam and both of you get out of there, because he knows you’re both at the university.”

Cas stuffed the papers in and then his laptop.  “I’m heading to the hospital now.”

Out in the hall someone screamed.  Cas pulled the phone away from his ear to hear better.

“Jesus, Garth, I think he’s _here_!”

“Call 911!”  Garth cried.

Cas grabbed the office phone.  Then he remembered the gun in his bag.  He started pulling everything out of his bag again in search of it.

“Cas?  What are you doing?  Call 911!”  Garth yelled.

“Quiet!  I’m listening.  I have my gun.  I’m going to hang up with you, and I want you to call the police _and_ university security.  Dean has the number on his desk for the security.  Hurry and do it now!”

“Alright!”  The line went dead and Cas tucked his phone in his pocket.  He found the gun, his fingers closing around it just as the outer office door slammed open.  His heart squeeze tight in terror.  John Winchester was on a killing spree, and he was next on the man’s list.  He ducked down behind his desk just as his office door was kicked open.  He winced at the sound of the wood splintering.

“I know you’re in here, you little faggot!”  John snarled.  The boots he was wearing clomped heavily across the floor as he moved farther into the room.  The desk, a solid piece of oak that came down almost to the floor, did not allow Cas to see where John was.  All he could do was listen to the sound of his footsteps and try to gauge where the man was standing.

The gunshot was loud in the confined of the tiny office, and it startled Cas so bad he fell back, thumping against the side of the desk.  John heard it and came around the corner, a maniacal look of glee on his face at having flushed out his prey.  Until he saw the gun.

It happened so fast that later, Cas couldn’t tell you who fired first.  All he knew was that his finger pulled on the trigger at roughly the same time a sharp pain slammed into his shoulder.  He screamed and dropped the gun.  The white, hot pain that radiated down his arm was excruciating and worse than anything he’d ever felt in his life.  John roared with pain, his own gun tumbling out of his hand as he staggered back.

“Godless…F-fucking….bastard!”  He had a hand clamped to his face as he moved towards the door.

“Fuck!”  Cas lifted the edge of his blazer with his good hand and winced.  He had a hole in his shoulder, and he could feel the blood soaking through his shirt, front and back.  At least the bullet had exited.  That was a good thing, he hoped.  His head thunked back against the desk again as he pressed his hand against the wound.  His head began to swim and his vision narrowed just from the pain that caused.  He was weak and tired.  Hopefully an ambulance got there soon.

“Castiel?”

He was halfway between a groan and a sob when he looked up to see Patrick crouching down in front of him.

“Bloody hell, he _shot_ you?”

“Call 911!”  Cas couldn’t reach the phone from where he was, and he couldn’t get up.  He was busy trying to keep his hand pressed against his bleeding shoulder.

“They’re already on their way.  Here, let me take a look.  I was medic in the Irish Defense Forces.”  Patrick scooted closer and carefully peeled Cas’ hand back to get a look.

“Where’d he go?  Where’s John?  Did I hit him?”  Cas asked through gritted teeth.

“Aye, I’d say you did.  He stumbled out into the hall holding his head.  I think you hit him in the face or something.  I waited til he turned the corner, then came to see if you were alright, which you aren’t, so you know.  You need a hospital.”

“No shit,”  Cas spat at him.

“No, like right now.  You’ll bleed out before they can get an ambulance here.”

Before Cas could protest, Patrick was pulling him out from under the desk.  The room was spinning, and Cas wobbled dangerously once he was set on his feet.

“Come on, I’m taking you to a hospital.”

Cas’ vision was starting to get dark around the edges and he tried to shove Patrick away, but the man had a firm hold around his waist as he dragged him towards the door.  By the time they made it to the hall he’d lost enough blood that he passed out.  Patrick swept him up into his arms and started for the elevator.

[](http://imgur.com/cPWYy21)


	36. Chapter 36

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

Todd had followed Dr. Brody to the science building again.  He placed a call to Gabe.  It was at least the 15th call this week.  Everyone was going to breathe a sigh of relief once Cas moved away.  He’d be safe then, and Todd liked the guy.  He didn’t want to see the man get hurt by this crazy stalker.

                                     

There was a tree he usually positioned himself behind to wait and see if Brody came out, and he hid behind it now as he called his girlfriend’s father.

“Hey, Todd.  Let me guess, he’s in the science building again,”  Gabe sighed as soon as he picked up.

“Yep.  I’m waiting to see if he gets chased out again.”

“I’ll be so glad when Cas starts his new position and gets away from that creep,”  Gabe said.

“We all will.”  Todd agreed.  He caught movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see a man in a dark trench coat walking across the lawn towards the science building.  He looked familiar.  What alarmed Todd the most was that the man had a gun in his right hand, and a rifle slung across his back.

“Oh shit!”  He dropped to the ground and ducked behind the car closest to him.

“What?  What happened?”  Gabe asked.

“A man just showed up with a gun!  Walked into the science building!”  Todd exclaimed.

“A man with a-”  Realization hit Gabe like a punch to the gut.  “Oh…. _FUCK_!  Todd!  Call 911 immediately!  That’s John Winchester! _He’s there to kill my brother!_ ”

A scream could be heard, and a faint popping sound a minute later.

“Ok, I-I’m calling 911!”  Todd hung up and immediately did it.

“911, what is your emergency?”

“A man with guns just walked into the science building!  Get my location, he’s in there right now!  SIU, main campus!”  He was crying, partially out of fear for Cas and partially out of his own terror.  “Hurry!  He’s going to shoot Dr. Castiel Novak!”

There was another popping noise, though it could have been two, Todd couldn’t tell.

“There’s more gunfire!  You need to hurry!”

“We have units on the way right now.  Where are you?  Can the shooter see you?”  The woman on the phone was infuriatingly calm.

“N-no, I’m outside, hiding behind a car.”  His voice and his hands were shaking, but he peeked around the edge of the car at the door.  The man with the guns staggered out, holding a hand to his face.  Todd could see the blood pouring out from between his fingers.

“I see him!”  He hissed into the phone.  “He’s bleeding, like he got shot in the face!”

“Do not let him see you.  What is he doing right now?” she asked.

“H-he turned right and he’s kind of staggering towards the main parking lot.  His gun is gone, the one he walked in with.  I don’t see it anymore.  The other one is still on his back though.”

“Ok, the police and medical assistance will be there within two minutes,”  she said calmly.

“I need to see if Dr. Novak’s ok.”  He started to get up, but his head was feeling very light.  It forced him to lean back against the car.  People were screaming somewhere, in the general direction of where the shooter had gone.

“Stay where you are, help is on the way,” the dispatcher told him.

“I can’t.  Cas could be hurt.  He’s my girlfriend’s uncle and John Winchester just tried to kill him!  He could be up there bleeding to-”  He stopped talking when he saw Dr. Brody coming out of the building.  Cas was cradled in his arms.

“Oh god, _he’s got Cas_!”

“Who has him?  Who are you talking about?”  The woman was asking.  Somewhere in the distance Todd could hear sirens, but they weren’t going to get there fast enough.

“Cas has a stalker, another professor by the name of Brody.  He has a restraining order against Brody, but he just came out of the science building carrying Cas in his arms!  There’s blood, a lot of it.  T-they’re getting into a car.  A dark blue Nissan Altima, plate number X568-578.”  It only took him a moment to think.  “I’m going to follow them.”

“No!  Don’t do that!  The police will be there any second!”  The woman’s calm demeanor finally cracked as she shrieked in his ear.

“Nah, you don’t get it, Cas is in danger.  I can’t risk your cops getting here too late.  I’ll keep you on the line, ok?  And you can trace me, right?”

“Once you stop moving the police can locate you,” she admitted.

“Ok, then I’ll give you directions on where he’s taking him.  Cas isn’t conscious.  I think he was shot.  His shirt is covered in blood.”  Todd’s car was two over, and he hurried to it.  His hand was shaking as he thrust the key into the lock and a moment later he was sliding behind the wheel.

“I drive a Ford Escort, red, 1995.  My plates are M0n033942.  They went out the back lot and they made a right onto University Drive.  They’re heading _away_ from the nearest hospital, ok?  Not towards it.”

“You need to let the police do their job.  You are putting your own life in danger by following them.  Pull over at the first opportunity and wait for the police to arrive,” she ordered.  He ignored it.

“I can’t do that.  He’s like my own uncle, and the police already failed him by letting this asshole walk free and come back to his job.  Someone’s gotta have his back.”

The operator groaned in frustration.  He ignored that too and pulled onto University Drive, turning right.

“Ok, so he made a left onto Cornelius.  I think that’s going east?  Passing Cornelius and Grove, passing Maple, passing Thornton, passing Linda…”  He really hoped she was typing this all in to the police, or whatever it was they did to get the police heading in the right direction.  His phone beeped in his ear and he dared a glance down at it.  Shit!  It was almost dead!  He’d forgotten to charge it before rushing in early to work that morning, and there’d been no time during his afternoon classes to stop and do it.  Now he was paying the price.

“I have a unit en route.  They’re coming up Lilac from the south and they should intercept the Nissan,” she said.  And then the phone went dead.

“ _Fuck_!”  he screamed as he chucked the phone aside.  “ _Fucking hell_!”

Professor Brody’s car was still in front of him, but there was no way to alert the police.  It wasn’t something he thought about.  Cas was in danger.  He kept following the Nissan.  Somehow, someway, he’d let the police know.  First, he had to figure out where Brody was taking Cas.

Traffic at that time of day was beginning to pick up, and Todd was painfully aware of how his red car stuck out like a sore thumb, but it looked like Brody’s attention was on Cas who he guessed was in the backseat.  He followed him down a series of side streets for a good ten minutes before they pulled onto a quiet, rather nondescript street where all the houses looked pretty much the same.  He slowed when the Nissan did and watched as it slid into an open parking spot.  As discreetly as possible, Todd pulled his own car into the first spot he saw, on the other side of the street, about eight spaces back.  He slipped from the car and crouched down so only his eyes and the top of his head were visible, though not from that distance.  Now he had to figure out which house the bastard was taking Cas into.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Patrick got out, looking around for any signs of life before moving around to the rear passenger door.  The street was quiet, not a single living soul in sight.  Good.  He opened the door and looked down.  Cas was conscious again, moaning, still with his hand clamped over his shoulder.

                                                                  

“Come on, beautiful, we’ll get you patched right up.”

“We at the hospital?”  Cas’ words slurred as he looked up at him.

“Not yet.  We need to stop the bleeding first.”  Patrick grabbed him under his armpits, ignoring his screams of agony as he pulled Cas from the car.  For a second time, Cas passed out.

He tucked the throw blanket he kept in the car around Cas and lifted him up again.  With a kick to the car door to shut it, he hurried up the walkway to the house, and into the backyard.  He wasn’t going to draw attention to himself by going in through the front door.  No, he was going to use the backdoor and go down to the basement.  So his plans had been sped up by a few weeks.  It didn’t throw him off too badly.  He finally had what he wanted, and no one was going to stop him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Todd snuck up four cars lengths and watched as Patrick moved between two houses, heading for the back of the one on the left.  Once the professor was out of sight, carrying Cas cradled in his arms, he darted forward until he was standing directly across the street from where they’d gone.

“Shit, what do I do?” he muttered.  Knocking on a neighbor’s door was one idea, but in the time it took to get someone to believe him, because knowing Patrick, the people around here would be as duped as the people running the university, they wouldn’t listen and he’d lose sight of Professor Brody.  No, for this, he was on his own.  If there was any chance of saving Cas, he had to do it himself.  With a check to make sure no cars were coming, he darted across the street and down the same walkway Patrick had just gone down.  His heart was in his throat the entire time.  He had no idea what he was going to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Patrick let himself into the basement, but it wasn’t easy.  He had to drop Cas’ lower body down to the ground and hang on tightly to the man’s waist as he fished the keys from his pocket and opened the door.  Using his foot to hold it open, he lifted Cas back up and slipped inside.

Cas was barely conscious, and Patrick moved carefully as he laid him down on the table in the center of the room.  He took a moment to admire the science teacher’s body.  It suddenly dawned on him that he’d gotten to finally touch the man, to feel that firm body under his fingertips as he carried him to the car and then to here.  But it wasn’t in the way he’d always wanted.  No, there were far too many clothes, and he was dying to touch the man’s actual skin.  First, he had to get that shoulder fixed.

He grabbed a pair of scissors from a utility table nearby and began cutting the blazer off.  After the blazer, he removed the shirt.  Cas’ chest was covered in blood but it didn’t deter from just how beautiful the man was.  Phantom images of _James_ gyrating up on the stage flickered through his memories as he grabbed a bottle of water from a pack under the table, and one of the clean washcloths he had stored in a box in the corner.  Carefully, he began cleaning up the blood and assessing the injury.  It didn’t look so bad in the front, but when he rolled Cas onto his side to get a look at the exit wound, he grimaced. It was bad. The object of his fantasies was marred, his flesh covered in more of those godforsaken love bites from that fucking lowlife mechanic. It enraged him to see them but…they’d fade.  Soon Cas’ skin would be beautiful again, and then he could place his own marks on it.

“W-what’re you doing…”  Cas swatted his hand away when he felt Patrick running his fingers down his abdomen.

“You’re still beautiful.  So perfect.”  The reverence in Patrick’s voice brought Cas around a bit more.  He tried to sit up but cried out at the agony trying to move his shoulder brought.  His hands were pulled aside and he realized belatedly that Patrick was tying his wrists down.

“No!  Let me up!  I’ll fucking _kill_ you!”  He couldn’t lift his damaged arm and his good one was already secured to the table.  “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“You may have doubted that we’d be together one day, James, but I never did.  You’re mine, and you’re never leaving me.”  Patrick spoke with an infuriating sense of calm that just sparked more panic in Cas.  His legs were still free and when Patrick bent over him to secure his injured wrist, he brought his knee up, connecting it with the side of the bastard’s head.

“Son of a bitch!”  Patrick stumbled for a moment before grabbing his leg and locking that down too.  Struggling was excruciating, but Cas wasn’t going to give up without a fight, even if he was dying.  A broken sob escaped his lips at the thought of never getting to see Dean again, of not getting the chance to kiss him one last time and tell him how much he loved him.  Instead, he was trapped in his worst nightmare, and he was going to die here, with Patrick touching his body without his permission.

“Hush, darlin’, you’ve no reason to cry.  I’ll take excellent care of you.”

Cas cringed when Patrick kissed his forehead softly.  When he went for his lips, he turned his head away.

“I’m not fucking kissing you, you fucking bastard!”

“Fine, but you’ll be changing your tune soon enough.”  Patrick released the grip on his chin and moved down to his belt.

“No!  Don’t _touch_ me!”  Cas had very little room to move with all of his limbs tied down, and he couldn’t stop the man from opening his belt and then his pants.  Tears of rage and fear spilled down his cheeks to pool on the table beneath his head.

“Fuck, I just _knew_ you’d be beautiful here too.”  Using his index finger, Patrick stroked down the length of Cas’ cock.  It was limp, but still very impressive, bigger than his own.  He gave a leering grin before wrapping his hand around it. Blinding pain was the next thing he knew, and he felt it as the room began to tilt.  He hit the floor, hard.  “Whaaa….”  Another shock of pain and everything went dark. At least in the darkness there wasn’t any pain.

 


	37. Chapter 37

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

Todd snuck into the backyard and spotted the basement door.  It looked old and barely functional, but that had to be where Patrick had taken Cas.  He crouched down and wiped at one of the windows to get a look inside.  There was Cas, lying on some sort of medical looking table, and Patrick was cutting his shirt off.  The blazer was already on the floor.  Patrick’s back was to the door so he didn’t see him skulking about, and he planned to use that to his advantage.

“What the fuck?”  He muttered softly to himself when he saw Patrick tie Cas’ wrists down to the table.  Then he got a knee to the face, which Todd silently cheered over.  He turned to look around the yard for something, anything he could use as a weapon.  The grass was overgrown but only by a few weeks, and there was wood and other debris scattered about on the cracked, concrete patio.  He went to inspect it.  Most of it was warped from being left out in the elements, but one 2x4 looked solid enough to use as a weapon, so he grabbed it.  It had been cut down, so he was able to grip it and swing it with relative ease. Then he heard Cas screaming.  Hurrying back to the window he bent down to see Cas struggling, screaming and in tears as Patrick stood next to the bed.  It didn’t take a genius to know what the asshole was doing.  He jumped up and ran to the door, sending up a silent prayer that it was unlocked.  Without hesitating, he turned the knob.  The door swung open and he rushed in, raising the piece of wood over his head.  He brought it down with all the force he could muster right on Patrick’s head.  The man fell hard on the concrete floor, but he wasn’t knocked out.  Todd wasn’t taking any chances.  He lifted the wood and brought it down a second time, this time hitting Patrick across his upper back.  This time he didn’t move.

“Todd?  Todd?  Oh my God…”  Cas was openly sobbing.  Todd dropped the 2x4 and hurried to untie the man’s hands and ankles.

“Shh, sit still, I still have to figure out how to call 911, my phone died while I was following Professor Brody’s here,”  he explained.

 

“My pocket.  Get my phone out of my pocket.”  Cas’ voice was weak and that had Todd alarmed again. His adrenaline was fading, and he was at risk of shock. When he went to look for the phone, he realized Cas’ pants were wide open, and his dick was on display. With gentle tugs at the two sides of the pants, he managed to get Cas tucked back into them and zipped back up.

“Thank you,”  Cas was crying again.  Todd found the phone and grabbed it.  He dialed 911 and by some miracle got the same lady from earlier.

“Where are you?  I can have a car to your location within minutes,” she told him.

“Address is 11569 Kohl.  Professor Brody took Cas around the back of the house, and he tied him down to a table in the basement!  I came in and hit him.  I had to, he was…he was… _touching_ Cas!  He’s not doing so good now.  You need to hurry.”  Todd blinked away the tears that threatened to spill.  Cas couldn’t die, he wouldn’t let him.

 

“Who isn’t doing good?” she asked.

 

“Cas!  He’s bleeding bad, and he’s really pale.  You gotta hurry!”  Todd found a box of clean washcloths and grabbed a bunch to press against Cas’ shoulder.  He slid more underneath to press against the exit wound.  Cas screamed in pain before passing out again.

“He’s unconscious!   _Hurry_!”

“They’re out front right now.  Open the door for them,” she instructed.

“Tell them to come around to the basement, they gotta come in the basement.”  He could hear movement outside and for a moment he felt relieved.  The police were here, Cas would get to a hospital, and-

He froze when he heard the click.  Patrick was on his feet, the gun in his hand pointed directly at Todd’s chest.

“You can’t have him!”

 

“Please, don’t shoot,”  Todd pleaded.  Patrick swayed on his feet and shook his head.

 

“You fucking little shit, James is _mine_!”

 

The gunshot was deafening, echoing off the walls and startling Todd so bad he dove for the floor.  The phone clattered out of his hands as he crawled around the table to hide, but someone else was screaming.  Peeking around the boxes, he saw Patrick was the one shot.

 

“Todd?”  Cas asked weakly.  Todd jumped to his feet as two officers grabbed Patrick and led him out of the basement, bleeding profusely from one shoulder and in cuffs.

 

“I’m right here, Cas.”  He took Cas’ good hand and held it between both of his own.  It was cold and that worried him.  Two more officers were there, assessing the area for any more threats, while paramedics came in and began helping Cas.  Todd scooped the phone up off the floor.  The call was still connected to 911.

 

“Hello?”  he asked.

 

“Are you alright?”  The woman sounded worried.

 

“Yeah, I’m ok.  They shot Professor Brody before he could shoot me.  And they’re taking Cas to the hospital now.”

“I’m so glad you’re alright.  You take care, ok?  You did a good thing today, and you saved a life.”

 

Todd watched them move Cas onto a stretcher and rush him out of the basement.  He followed them out, not wanting to be in there any longer.

 

“I just did what any good person would do.  If you knew Cas, you’d help him too.  I’m going to the hospital to make sure he’s really ok.”

 

“My thoughts are with him,” she told him.  That brought a smile to Todd’s face before the call disconnected.  Now he had to call Gabe.  His smile disappeared when he realized he’d have to explain exactly what he’d seen here, and what he’d done.  This was not going to be pleasant.


	38. Chapter 38

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

After hanging up with Todd, Gabe dialed Sam in a panic but the man wasn’t answering.

“Fuck!”                     

He tore off his chef’s coat and turned to his crew.

“My brother’s in serious trouble.  There’s a shooter on SIU campus right now.  I have to go.”

“Go, we have this.”  Pierre shooed him towards the door and Gabe ran.  He raced out to his car and jumped in.

He dialed Sam again, and then again.  On the fourth call, the man finally answered.

“Gabe, Dean was shot!”

Gabe’s stomach fell.

“John was just at SIU!   _In the science building_!”

“Shit!  Did you call Cas?”  Sam cried.

“He’s not answering!”

“Dean’s in surgery.  Call Todd, see if he can get to Cas,”  Sam said.

“I hung up with him, told him to call 911 when he saw John going into the building.  Now he’s not answering either, it’s just going straight to voicemail.  I have a really bad feeling.”  Gabe’s stomach twisted so much he thought he was going to throw up.

“Wait, oh…God…”  Sam gasped.  “There’s a live newsfeed on TV right now, Cas was _kidnapped_!  They just brought him out on a stretcher.  He’s alive, but he’s been shot.”

“They’re gonna take him to Unity, right?”  Gabe turned left out of the parking lot, towards the hospital.  “God, I hope he’s ok.”

“Breathe.  They just arrested Patrick.  Fuck!  He took Cas unconscious from the university, and drove him _to his fucking house_!  Like what, he thought he could just keep him?  That Cas would wake up and be grateful?  Goddamnit!  Dean’s going to be _furious_!”  Sam fell silent for more than a minute.

“Gabe, Todd, he saved Cas.  He followed Patrick to his house.  They’re saying he went into the basement and found Cas tied down to the table being assaulted, so he hit him with a piece of wood he found in the backyard. I guess his phone died mid call while he was following Patrick, but after he knocked the guy out, he took Cas’ phone and called them back.  Cops showed up as Patrick was trying to shoot Todd. Shit, he saved Cas’ life!”

“Any word on John?”  Gabe asked.  He was driving way too fast for the speed limit, but he didn’t care, he just needed to get to the hospital.

“No.  I mean they reported that a bleeding man with a gun was seen on campus, but that he got into a white Ford Focus and drove away.  They’re still looking for the car, and for John.”

“Are you ok?  I mean, that’s your dad…”  Gabe worried about his state of mind, even amidst all the chaos, he still worried.

“He’s not my dad.  Bobby is my dad.”  Sam replied coldly.  “He’s a monster.  He drove down to my brother’s shop with the intention of killing him and everyone there, then he drove to the university to kill Cas, and probably me too.  John is sick.  If he’s still alive, I hope they throw him in prison and that he never again walks free.”

“I’m in the parking lot,”  Gabe announced as he reached the hospital.  “Where are you, and how do I find out where my brother is?”

“Park and come in through the main entrance.  I’m on my way down to meet you now.  Stay in the lobby, I’ll be there in like, two minutes.”

He could hear Sam moving, and then an elevator ding. Gabe parked his car in the first available visitor parking spot and got out. He raced for the doors.

“I’m in the main entrance lobby.”

Around the corner an elevator dinged, and then Sam was coming around the corner.  They both ended the call and stuffed their phones in their pockets.  Second later Sam was pulling him into a tight hug.  He hugged back just as tight.

“How bad is Dean?”  He asked as Sam pulled back to take his hand.  Together they went back around the corner, passing the elevators as they raced towards the ER.

“Bad.  He took a shot to the abdomen trying to protect Benny.  Benny got hit in the leg, Tessa got shot in the head,”  Sam replied.

“Jesus, is he going to make it?”  Gabe felt his stomach clench tight again.  This was a nightmare.

“He’s strong.  Dean’s strong.”  His voice cracked, and Gabe knew the man was crying.  He stopped and grabbed Sam’s arm.  When Sam looked back at him he could see the tears in the his eyes.  They matched the ones in his own eyes.  He pulled Sam back into his arms and hugged him.  Strong arms came up and around him, hugging him back.

They stayed like that a few more beats before finally letting go.

“Come on, I need to know where my brother is, and if he’s ok.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

After giving his statement at the scene and then being made to go down to the station to give it again, Todd was exhausted.  The adrenaline rush had worn off long ago. No one was telling him anything about Cas but a television near where he was sitting was reporting what had happened, and Cas had been apparently rushed to Unity where he was now in surgery.  His stomach fell when he learned that John Winchester had gone on a killing spree, starting with Dean’s garage.  Now he just wanted to get out of here, go up to the hospital to be with Lexi, and with everyone else.  He liked the Novaks, and he liked Dean.

It was after 11 before he was finally told that he could leave the police station, there had been so many questions, but it was over, at least for now.  After stopping to pick up a phone charger, he plugged his phone in on the drive to the hospital.  His own father had called a dozen times before he was able to call him back.  Once his parents were placated, he returned the 20 some calls and texts from Lexi.  She was at the hospital with everyone else, and he wanted to get up there too.

After texting her from the hospital parking lot to figure out where everyone was, he took the elevator up to the third floor.  Cas was out of surgery and resting in his room.

“Todd!”  Lexi cried as he walked into the room.  She held out her arms and he practically sank into her embrace.  It felt so good to hold her and bury his nose in her hair.  She always smelled like strawberries.

“How is he?” he asked when he finally pulled back.

“Heavily sedated.  He had a pretty bad panic attack when he first woke up after surgery and found out Dean was _still_ in surgery,”  Gabe replied from where he was sitting on the other side of the bed.  He looked exhausted.

“Is Dean ok?”

“Yeah, he’s going to pull through.  Lost part of his intestines and a kidney, I think, but he’ll live.  He’s just as sedated because he went nuts when he found out Cas got hurt,”  Gabe replied.

“Where is he?  Why isn’t he in here?”  Todd asked.  It just made sense to have them in the same room together.

“Dean’s in ICU, two floors up.  He won’t be released before Cas.”

Todd walked over to the bed and looked down at the sleeping man.  Cas was pale with dark circles under his eyes.  But he was alive, and that was what mattered. Gabe came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Todd.  I saw on the news what you did.  That was dangerous, following Patrick, but I’m glad you did.  It turns out he didn’t go to his own house, he went to one that belonged to his dead mother.  He owns the property but currently no one actually lives in there.  He told the police that he’d brought Cas there to try and stop the bleeding so he could take him to an actual hospital.  Fucking bastard, Cassie will need therapy after that.”

“Does he remember what happened?” Todd asked. Gabe gave a small shrug.

“We don’t know yet.  The first question out of his mouth the moment he woke up was where Dean was.  When I told him Dean was still in surgery, he freaked out really bad, so they had to give him a strong sedative.  Now that we know Dean is actually ok, we should be able to handle it the next time he wakes up.” Gabe walked around the bed to sit next to his brother.

“I’d like to go up and see Dean.  Can I?”  Todd met Gabe’s eyes over the bed.  The older man seemed to move in slow motion as he pulled his phone out.

“I’ll let Sam know you’re coming, so he can meet you in the hall.  I’m not sure of the room number.  Take the elevators that you came up in, take them up to the 5th floor.”

Todd nodded.  Before leaving he leaned down to kiss Lexi softly.  “I’ll be back in a little while, and I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”

“Ok.”  She nodded and watched him go.

He headed back to the elevators and hit the up button.  At this time of night the car arrived quickly, and soon he was stepping out on the 5th floor.  Sam was walking towards him looking as worn out as Gabe did.

“Thank you, for everything you did today.  You really went above and beyond, and I know my brother is extremely thankful to you for saving Cas.  Seriously, he’d be lost without him.”  Sam kept thanking him as he led him down the hall.  When he turned into one of the rooms, Todd followed.

“Sammy?”  Dean’s voice was hoarse as he called out to his brother, and immediately Sam was at his side.

“I’m right here, Dean.  It’s ok.”

“Cas awake?  He ok?”  Dean had a cannula in his nose, and there were wires and tubes everywhere.  He caught movement and turned, squinting as he tried to see Todd clearly.

“Who’s that?”

“It’s Todd.”  Todd moved closer so Dean could see him better.  Dean’s eyes widened and he smiled.

“Hey, kiddo!  Thank you.  I hear you’re a hero.”

Todd blushed and ducked his head.

“I’m not a hero, I just saw him taking Cas, and I knew the police wouldn’t get there in time.  I’m just glad I didn’t lose him when I followed.  They wouldn’t let me go afterwards.  I had to go down to the station and give my statement to like, a hundred people.  The first moment I got to escape, I did.”

“I’m glad you’re ok.”  Dean reached a hand over and patted the one Todd had resting on the bed rail.  “Did you see Cas?”

“I did.  He’s asleep.  Gabe said his surgery went well but he had a panic attack when he found out you were still in surgery.  I figure it’s not so bad, you heal best when you’re asleep, right?  He’s getting better, and that’s a good thing.  He looks good.”

Dean smiled a little wider.

“Good.  That’s my baby, he’s a fighter.”

Sam’s smile was pained as his brother drifted off once more with the help of the pain meds.

“They knocked him out after he freaked out over Cas, and he wouldn’t stay asleep.  Keeps randomly waking up.  But now that he knows Cas is ok, maybe he’ll rest.”

“Maybe Cas can come up and see him tomorrow.  You and I both know they won’t stay apart, not when they’re worrying about each other like this.”  Todd looked down at Dean.  The man looked so peaceful when he was sleeping.  “Did he really lose some of his intestines?”

“No.  He got hit with a single bullet that came in just above his right hip, went clear through and exited out his back before lodging in Benny’s thigh.  It went through one kidney, and he lost that, and it perforated his small intestine, but somehow, it managed to miss all the other vital organs.  Doctors said it was a miracle.  Something about the way Dean twisted as he jumped in front of Benny.  If he hadn’t covered Benny with his own body, Benny would have been shot in the chest, and it would have killed him.  He had the bullet in his leg dug out and he was stitched up and allowed to go home.  Tomorrow he’s coming back to visit though,”  Sam explained.

Todd winced and looked down at Dean’s sleeping form again.

“He’s tough as nails.”

Sam snorted and nodded.  “Understatement.”

He stayed a little while longer, until a frantic looking older couple came rushing in, then he politely excused himself and went back downstairs.  Lexi had fallen asleep in her chair, and her dad had propped a pillow up under her head.  Gabe had dozed off in his own chair, head leaning back so that he was snoring loudly.  Loathe to wake either of them, he quietly approached the bed.  Cas’ eyes fluttered before finally opening.  He looked up at Todd before the sound of his brother’s snoring dawned on him.

“What’s that awful noise?”

“Gabe fell asleep.  He’s snoring really loud.”  Todd snickered.  Cas rolled his eyes before turning enough to look over his bad shoulder.

 

“Gabe!”

 

His brother jerked and sat up.

“What’s a matter?”

“You’re snoring.  Shut up.”  Cas grumbled.  Gabe wiped his hand down his face and groaned.

“These chairs aren’t comfortable.”

“They recline, dork,”  Cas said.

The next few minutes were spent with Gabe trying to figure out how to recline the seat.  He let out a noise of triumph when he figured it out.  Cas rolled his eyes and looked up at Todd.

“You don’t have to stick around.  I know you need sleep.  Don’t you have classes tomorrow?”

“They delayed finals until Pastor Winchester is found,”  Todd replied.

“Finals,”  Cas sighed.  “I have to go back to work.  I can’t afford time off.  I’m canceling my office hours, fuck what they have to say.”

“I went up and talked to Dean,”  Todd told him.  Cas perked up, a small smile pulling uncertainly at the corners of his mouth.

“He’s awake?”

“Sam says he’s fighting the sedatives.  He wanted to know how you were, so I told him you were ok.  He’s ok too.  Sam said he got shot in the side and it went out his back.  He lost a kidney, but he’ll be ok.”

Cas winced.  “They didn’t find John yet?”

Todd pulled his phone out to check for any news.

“No, not yet.”

“Did anyone call Kate or Adam?  Does anyone know if they’re safe?”

“I’m not sure I know who that is,”  Todd confessed.

“Right, you wouldn’t.  Please wake my brother and tell him to message Sam and find out.”

Gabe was already snoring again and jerked awake when Todd touched his shoulder.

“You heading out?”

“Not quite yet.  Cas asked you to text Sam and make sure Kate and Adam are safe,”  Todd replied.  Gabe sighed and pulled his phone out.  After a few minutes of texting back and forth, he put his phone back in his pocket.

“So Sam called Kate right after Dean was shot and told her to go into hiding.  She’s been in Chicago with her sister, but they all packed up and left.  They’re on their way to her sister-in-law’s house in Montana.  They left right away.”

“Good,”  Cas said.  He swallowed against the dryness in his throat.  “That’s good.”

“How’s your pain?”  Gabe yawned and sat forward to look at his brother.

“It aches, but it’s bearable.”

“Good.”  Gabe looked at Lexi who was still sleeping.

“Go home.  All of you.  I’ll be fine,”  Cas told them.  “I’m going to sleep, and in the morning I’ll see what they plan to do with me.  If they release me though, I’m not leaving; I’m going upstairs to be with Dean.”

“I should take Lexi home.  She hasn’t had her medicine.”  Gabe reluctantly got to his feet.

“Does Anna know?”  Cas asked.  Gabe gave a small, bitter laugh.

“Oh, she knows.  She was already removed from your room and, uh, they admitted her.  She had a really bad panic attack, shot her blood pressure through the roof so they had to sedate her.  They were talking about releasing her in the morning.  You scared the hell out of her.”

“Fuck.  I need to see her.”  Cas shifted, crying out when pain shot through his shoulder.

“No you don’t.  You lay your ass in that bed and don’t even _think_ of getting up,”  Gabe said firmly.  “I don’t want you to have to be sedated again.”

“What time is it?  Is it morning?”  Cas rubbed at his eyes with the hand he could lift, but Gabe understood quickly that his brother was disoriented.

“No, you were only asleep for a few hours.  It’s about 2 a.m.”  Gabe pressed firmly down on his brother’s good shoulder.  “You need to lay still and rest.  You almost bled to death today; you’re _not_ supposed to move.”  He looked at Lexi, who was watching them with worry written all over her face, and then at Todd.  He dug into his pockets and pulled out his keys.

“Take Lexi home in my van, would you?  Leave me the keys to your car, and tomorrow we can switch.  You ok with that?”

“Dad, I want to stay,”  Lexi argued.

“No.  You don’t have your pills, you can’t sleep in that chair, and Jeremy might need you tomorrow.  Todd will drop you off at home.  You have your keys, right?”

She frowned and nodded.

“I have them.”

“I’ll take you home, babe.”  Todd caught himself and quickly looked over at Gabe.  Cas chuckled.

“Take care of her, would you?”  Cas directed the question to Todd, who nodded.

“Of course I will.”

“Good, get her out of here before my brother changes his mind.”

Todd took the keys when they were handed over and made sure to give Gabe his keys in return.

“You want me to just take your van home with me then?”

“That’s fine.  I’ll message you tomorrow, and we can meet and trade,”  Gabe replied.

“Ok.”  Todd looked down at Cas.  “I’m really glad you’re ok.”

Cas offered a small smile and they watched as the teenagers left together.  Gabe let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m going to pretend that she’s not going to beg him to spend the night tonight.”

“Don’t worry so much.  I don’t know how much you actually talk with your daughter, but she’s asexual.  She doesn’t have interest in sex, and neither does Todd.  He’s the same.  Bet you didn’t know they actually met in a support group she started going to, not Starbucks like she had originally said.  They love each other and love spending time with one another, but sex isn’t something either of them are interested in.”  Cas grimaced as a particularly sharp pain shot through his shoulder.  The pain meds were starting to wear off.

Gabe was looking at him, his expression one of disbelief.

“I don’t know any teenager in the history of teenagers that isn’t interested in sex.”

“Actually, it’s quite common.  It’s a topic I covered briefly when it came up in one of my lectures.  The asexual spectrum is quite fascinating to study in depth.  I highly suggest that you start reading up on it, so you’re more in tune with Lexi.”  Cas yawned.  The pain in his shoulder was getting worse so he called the nurse from the call button on his remote.

“I’ll have to look into it.  This is all new to me.”  Gabe just wanted to go back to sleep, not think about his daughter’s sex life, or lack thereof.

“What about you?  You like sex, right?”  Cas asked.

“Of course I do, not that I remember what it even feels like,”  Gabe snorted.

Cas laughed until another stabbing pain shot through his shoulder.

“You need to go knock boots with Sam.  Your balls are so blue you’d give blueberries a run for their money.”

“Fuck you,”  Gabe said with a laugh.

“I just…”  Cas sighed heavily.  “I want to see Dean.”

“I know, Cassie,”  Gabe sighed.  “I know.”


	39. Chapter 39

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

“What the hell happened, exactly?”  Cole was doing his best to keep his voice down but after the call that morning from Sam, he was both pissed off and scared.  The last thing he’d ever wanted to hear was that his best friend had been shot and then _kidnapped_.

“He’s ok.  They did emergency surgery on him and the bullet missed his aorta by about a centimeter.  He remembers Patrick coming in after John ran out. He says he shot John back, but there was only one gun found at the scene, and it was John’s. Eyewitnesses say John left the campus with his face bleeding, so I think my brother _did_ shoot him, but someone took his gun. I think Patrick grabbed it because later he pulled a gun on Todd.  We’re still waiting to hear back on that part though.”  Gabe had taken Cole out into the hall to talk when he and several others from the club had raced to the hospital after getting a call from Sam. Cas might not be a dancer anymore, but these were his friends, and they cared deeply about him.

“So fill us in.  That asshole priest from the party, he went down and shot Dean, then went up to the college and shot Cas?  How the fuck was Patrick even involved in all of that?”  Victor had driven in with Cole and Jake, and all three men looked ready to march down to the jail and string Patrick up themselves.  Or possibly going on a manhunt for John Winchester.

Gabe explained what he actually knew, and what Todd had told him of following Patrick after the shooting, and how he’d actually rescued Cas.

“The police and paramedics showed up, and they got Cas to the hospital in time to save his arm.  He’s in a bad mood, in pain, and they’re not letting him go upstairs to be with Dean, so if he has an attitude when you go in there, you know why.”

“I’m going to go in and see him.”  Jake moved past them and into the room.

“Gabe!”  His brother shouted.

“Uh oh, I think he turned on the news,”  Gabe cringed.  Victor and Cole followed him into the room.  Sure enough, the television was on, tuned in to the ongoing manhunt for John Winchester.  They were talking about Cas’ rescue from the house he’d been taken to.

“They still haven’t found John?  That son of a bitch is still on the loose?  I know I shot him, in the face if I remember correctly.  How could he still be alive?  Garth had said Dean shot him too.  So he’s out there somewhere with two gunshot wounds and a rifle.  Are the police watching the hospital to make sure he doesn’t just march in here and pick up where he left off?”  Cas was nearly hysterical, and he had every right to be.

“They’re watching the hospital.  There are actually officers stationed outside yours and Dean’s rooms.  Everyone is doing everything possible to keep you safe.”

Cas was still watching the news.  He grimaced when he saw himself being carried out on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.  It brought back some very painful memories of being tied down to the table, being undressed, unwelcome touches…

He squeezed his eyes shut against the barrage of thoughts threatening to take over his mind.

A hand on his shoulder drew him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see his brother watching him, concern etched all over his face.

“Hey, it’s over, he can’t ever touch you or even look at you again.  You’re safe.”  Gabe ruffled his brother’s hair.  Cas offered a weak smile.

“Yeah, ok.”

“Why don’t you reassure your buddies here that you’re going to be just fine?  They all want to hunt John down themselves for what he did.”

Cas’ smile grew a little wider as he looked at his friends.

“Hey, guys.”

“You know, it’s a good thing you stopped dancing.  There’s not enough cover up in the world to hide a gunshot scar,”  Cole joked.  Cas found himself relaxing a bit more, and he laughed along with his friends.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I stopped!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Everything hurt, but he didn’t want to take too much morphine, he didn’t like the lightheaded feeling it gave him, and he hated constantly dozing off.  So that meant he was in more pain than he wanted to admit to.  Sam had left, he had things he had to do, but Bobby and Karen had come in last night and were taking turns sitting with him.  He just wanted to see Cas.

                                     

“Is he awake?  Can I talk to him on video or something?  Anything?  I need to see him!”

The argument was getting old by that point but having his family going down to check on Cas wasn’t good enough.  He was about to start another round of complaining when Gabe and Victor came walking into the room.  Karen looked relieved to see them.

“Calm your titties, big guy.  We have a surprise for you.”  Gabe held the door open and a moment later Cas was being wheeled into the room.

“Babe!”  Dean lit up the moment he saw his boyfriend, and Cas’ smile was just as big.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

Cole rolled the chair right up to the bed and with some grunts and a bit of effort, Cas stood up.  He wobbled a little from the pain killers but he wasn’t letting that hinder him.  Dean reached out for him and he grabbed his hand tight.  Dean eyed the sling Cas’ arm was in with anger.

“Shh, I’m ok.  But, uh, I shot your sperm donor.”  Cas kissed the back of Dean’s hand and waited until he looked up at him.

“So did I.  We’re really a pair, aren’t we.”  Dean relaxed a bit.  His expression was tight though and Cas knew he was in some serious pain.

“When is the last time you took something for the pain?”

“I’m ok,”  Dean grunted.

“You’re a horrible liar.”  Cas nodded at Gabe, who left to get a nurse.

“Cas…”  Dean sighed.  He just got to see the man, he didn’t want to get sleepy.

“No, you’re in pain, and I’m not going anywhere.  I just got a visit from the mayor, who pulled some strings.  We’re going to be sharing a room.  Just not the same bed.”  Cas kissed his hand again since trying to bend over put too much pressure on his shoulder.

“How did you manage that?  When did you talk to the _mayor_?!”  Dean was excited and a bit in awe.

“Did anyone tell you what happened?  After John shot me?”  Cas asked.  Dean shook his head.

“No, what happened?”

“Oh, you’re not gonna like this.”  Cole sucked his lower lip in and shook his head.  Dean frowned at that before looking at Cas again.

“What happened?”


	40. Chapter 40

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

 

To say Dean was pissed was an understatement.  Cas explained what he had seen on the news before turning the television on and seeking out another report on it so Dean could see for himself.  After that, he explained to everyone in the room that the president of the university and the board had threatened Cas’ job if he didn’t drop his complaints against Patrick, and so he had endured months of harassment from the other professor on campus, and there was nothing he could do without risk of getting fired.  Now though, after speaking to the mayor, the university was singing a completely different tune.  They had been stopping in to either apologize or see if there was anything they could do to help.  The mayor had asked the same question, so Cas had told him.  He wanted to be wherever Dean was.  Five minutes later, a room was being prepped in the ICU so Cas could be in the room with Dean while he continued to heal too.

                                                                                                                  

The nurse came and slipped the pain meds into Dean’s IV.  As the pain began to fade, so did his anger.  He was still irritated, but he was no longer raging mad.

“Tell me they arrested that son of a bitch.  If he shows up here at the hospital I’ll kill him myself!”  he grumbled.

“He was arrested, and they’re not letting him out.  Sam talked to his professor and he contacted a lawyer that’s going to represent Cassie for free, and he’s making sure that no matter what, if by some miracle he does make bail, his restraining order is absolutely not broken.  If he does, it’s an automatic “Do not pass go, go directly to jail” situation, and it can be used against him in the trial.  So, we’re going to get you two better and on your way to South Dakota.  You’ll be safer there,”  Gabe said.

“South Dakota?  You taking that job you were telling me about?”  Cole asked.  Cas nodded.

“SIU had the nerve to threaten my job if I kept complaining about Patrick, and I don’t want to work in an environment where I do not feel safe.”

“I don’t blame you one bit.  I was glad when you left the club because I thought you’d finally be safe from Patrick.  A person shouldn’t be afraid, ever, especially in their home or in their workplace,”  Cole said.  Everyone hummed in agreement.

“You boys can stay with us until you have a place of your own.”  Karen piped up.  Until then she’d remained in her seat, quietly observing.

“Thanks, little mama.  Me and Cas, we appreciate that,”  Dean told her.

Cas was hurting, so he sat back down in the wheelchair again.

Everyone was chatting, discussing what was going to happen with Patrick’s trial, where they thought John might be, and how they all planned to help once Cas and Dean were back home.  Cas focused on Dean though.

“How’s your pain, sweetheart?  Is it tolerable?” he asked.  Dean was holding his hand through the side rail.  A sleepy smile rose up on his lips.

“Yeah, I’m ok.  Maybe a four now.  Was rough earlier but I wanted to see you, and no one was making that happen.  I didn’t want to get sleepy and miss out on any news.  How are you though?  I feel like shit that I wasn’t there to protect you.  I feel like I failed.  I know you’ll disagree, but I had a bad feeling about John.  Deep in my gut, and I ignored it.  I cost Tessa her life.”  Tears sprung up in Dean’s eyes.

“You couldn’t control his actions any more than I could control Patrick’s.  We are not at fault here, and I know, I _know_ Tessa wouldn’t blame you.  She knew he was unstable, and she worried about what John might do to _you_.  We will honor her; that’s a promise.  The police, they’ll find John.  Patrick is locked up and can’t hurt us anymore, and we’ll move on with our lives.  I need this, Dean.  I need to get out of here, to be as far away from Patrick, and…and…”  Cas pulled his hand out of Dean’s and wiped furiously at his eyes.

“Cas, what aren’t you telling me?”  Dean asked.  Cas shook his head.

“I can’t, not now.”  His voice cracked as more tears fell.

“No, babe, Cas.”  Dean knew something was seriously wrong when Cas suddenly just broke down.  Gabe motioned to everyone in the room and they all left.  Alone with just Cas, Dean forced himself to calm down.

“Sweetheart.  Talk to me.”

Cas swallowed hard.

“He tied me down to a table in a basement and then proceeded to touch me.  I couldn’t stop him.”

He couldn’t meet Dean’s eye, he still felt so dirty.

“Cas.”

He blinked, sending more tears spilling down his cheeks, and turned to look at Dean.

“It’s not your fault.  We’ll make sure the lawyer Sam got throws the book at the son of a bitch, ok?  In the meantime, I want you to talk to someone.  We both need to.  Thinking we can get over something like this without some kind of help is ridiculous.  Every time I close my eyes I see John crossing the parking lot, and I see that gun coming up.  I see the bullet hitting Tess, and her blood…”  Dean shuddered and closed his eyes.  “It hit my face and then he aimed for Benny, and I wasn’t losing another friend.  I didn’t think, I just grabbed my gun and jumped in front of Benny.  A bullet ripped through me, hot and burning so bad, but I emptied my gun at John.  I heard at least one hit home.  The blood, it was everywhere, and Benny was trying to save _me_.  Garth, I told him to call you, but he called 911 first.  They couldn’t stop the bleeding.  I-I could feel myself dying, but Benny said if I gave up, you’d be mad at me.  I had to see you again, baby.  When they were prepping me for surgery a nurse promised they were going to do everything they could so I could see you again.  We’re not giving up on anything.  We’ll work through this and come out stronger because we’re not the type of people to let others push us around,”  Dean reached through the railing on the bed to grab his hand.

“I love you, Cas.  We’ll talk to a therapist that has experience with trauma, and we’ll start over in South Dakota, ok?  You’re not giving up on me, on us.  I can’t do this without you.”

“I would _never_ give up on us, Dean.  But I can’t close my eyes without hearing the things he said, or feeling his hands on my body.  I feel filthy.  They won’t let me shower.  I couldn’t even let the nurse clean me up.  I don’t want them touching me,”  Cas said miserably.

“I want you to lay down next to me,”  Dean told him.  Cas smiled softly.

“If I could without hurting either of us, I would.  I just want to go home and curl up in our bed.”

“Don’t leave me,”  Dean begged.  Cas tightened his hold on Dean’s hand.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They were moved into a room together an hour later, and two days later, Cas was discharged, though he didn’t leave Dean’s side.  Dean was moved out of ICU, and seven days later they deemed him well enough to be released.  Sam and Gabe came to pick them up at the hospital, and the lawyer Sam had hired, a rather ruthless man by the name of Dick Roman, met them at the hospital and escorted them out, through throngs of reporters waiting to ask them a million questions.  The drive home was quiet and when they arrived, they both headed straight to the bedroom, leaving Gabe and Sam standing in the living room.

“They’re not doing well at all.  Cassie keeps dozing off and he cries in his sleep, and Dean keeps waking up screaming.  I stayed a few nights with them at the hospital.  At least Dean’s talking about therapy for them both.  I’m going to drive them tomorrow to go see the therapist.”  Gabe sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.  “This entire situation is shit.”

“I know, but they have us, and they have everyone else supporting them.  Why don’t you make them some lunch, and I’ll make sure they’re actually comfortable in the bed.  I think they might need some more pillows.”  Sam rubbed Gabe’s arm gently until he finally nodded.

“Yeah, let me see what’s in the fridge.  It might need to be cleaned out at this point.”

“I did that last night, and did a grocery run because I knew neither of them would be in any kind of shape for that.  Dean’s on a restricted diet for the time being because of where he was shot, so maybe a hearty soup or something would work.  Nothing spicy, I don’t think that would be good, not til he’s healed.”  Sam was already backing down the hall, so Gabe headed for the kitchen.

Sam walked in to find Dean trying to fuss over Cas, and Cas trying to fuss over Dean.  The result was Dean trying to help Cas out of his sling so he could change into one of the soft, cotton pajama tops Anna had bought for him, because they buttoned up.  It meant nothing had to be pulled over his head.

“Here, let me help.  You, sit.”  Sam pointed at the bed and Dean obeyed, though he grumbled as he did it.

“Thank you, Sam.  For everything you and Gabe have done for us.  It is all very much appreciated.”  Cas said as Sam loosened the sling and pulled it over his head.

“We just want you guys to get better so you can get back to work and back to your lives.  Plus, you gotta start packing soon.  Don’t you start physical therapy soon?”

Cas grunted as Sam moved his arm a bit as he helped him out of the button up he had been wearing.

“Yes.  You know what, I think I need a shower.”  Cas sniffed at his armpit and grimaced.

“I’m helping him with that,”  Dean said quickly.  Sam chuckled.

“Go on.  I’ll turn the bed down for you guys, and if you can’t get comfortable, Anna had me buy a bunch of extra pillows.  They’re in the trunk of my car, and I’ll bring them up.”

Cas smiled softly as he waited for Dean to get up from the bed.

“Thank you, it is very much appreciated.”

“Yeah, Sammy.  Extra pillows should help his arm.”

Cas had kicked his shoes off, and he helped Dean out of the ones he was wearing so they’d have less to leave behind in the bathroom.  With a slow shuffle, Dean followed him into the bathroom.  Working together, they stripped down.

“Have you gotten to shower since?”  Dean motioned towards Cas’ shoulder.

“Sort of.  I couldn’t get it wet; I had more stitches in the back than the front, and I had to wait for them to be taken out.  I washed up, and Charlie helped me one afternoon to wash my hair, but that’s about it.”  Cas turned the water on and waited for it to get to the right temp.  Dean moved up behind him, mindful of his shoulder, and wrapped his arms around his waist.  For a moment Cas stiffened in his arms, but then he relaxed.

“I would never hurt you, sweetheart.”  Dean murmured before kissing his good shoulder gently.

“I know that.  I’ve never been worried that you’d hurt me.  I’m just…”  Cas groaned in frustration.  “The detective that came to talk to me, he said Patrick had been planning to kidnap me.  That the house was being set up so I wouldn’t be able to escape.  There was a room, soundproof, in the basement, and my name was written hundreds of times across it.  But my stage name.  They also found detailed plans on how he planned to take me.  John threw his plans off.  I might have actually gotten a chance to move away before he could do it, because he was intending to wait until summer vacation to do it.  Apparently he’s been following us both, trying to learn our schedule so he could catch me alone.”  He shuddered and carefully turned around so he could bury his nose against Dean’s neck.  “He’s in my nightmares, not John.  I’ll feel his hands on me, hear his voice in my ear, and I want to scream.  I want to tear him apart and make it so he can never touch me or anyone else ever again.  Logically, I know he’s gone, but my brain hasn’t figured that out yet.”

 

It hurt but Dean pulled him closer.

“He’s never going to touch you again, I promise.  Tomorrow we see the therapist.  Tomorrow we start healing.”


	41. Chapter 41

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

Sam drove them to therapy the next day, and that Friday as well.  The university had offered Cas a better position for the next year, with better pay and better health coverage, and while it was tempting, he refused the offer.  At his lawyer’s insistence, he filed a lawsuit against them for putting his life in such danger.  His finals were administered by Abaddon, another science professor, and she’d even sent flowers and well wishes, letting him know his students had done well, and that he’d done an excellent job of teaching them.  So with the summer off to plan their move and pack, they fit in twice weekly sessions each with a therapist that dealt with trauma and sexual assault.  On Mondays Dean met with Dr. Missouri Mosely.  On Wednesdays, Cas met with her.  On Fridays, they went together.  It helped them both.  Cas finally began to understand that nothing Patrick had done reflected on him.  It was Patrick’s mental illness that made him do what he did.  It started him on the road to healing, and Dean learned ways in which to help Cas through it.

Their sex life suffered for a short time.  While healing from their injuries, neither of them was even considering it, but as the pain faded away and physically they both began to feel better, Cas was reluctant.  He jumped every time Dean touched him, and more than once he burst into tears at the thought of Dean leaving him if he couldn’t get over his fears.  But Dean wasn’t going anywhere.  As Dr. Mosely had explained, Cas was still healing emotionally, and that kind of healing took time and patience on his end.  She suggested that he leave initiating anything more than soft kisses, hand holding, or non-romantic touches up to Cas.  That took longer than Dean expected, but as it turned out, a change of scenery and finally feeling like he was far enough away from where Patrick was incarcerated helped a lot.

Karen made it her mission to find them a house before they officially moved, and rather than put the condo on the market, Sam bought it.  The third week of July, Karen called Dean, excited to have found a house she was certain they would love.  He trusted her and when she forwarded the pictures to them, he and Cas decided they really liked it.  A week later they were driving up to see the house.  Karen and Bobby went with.  The Realtor was a pleasant older man who played poker on Saturday nights with Bobby.  He waited in the living room while Dean and Cas did a walk through.  Bobby and Karen had already toured the house, and he wanted to check a few things that had concerned him, like the plumbing under the kitchen sink, and the first floor bathroom.

                                                                                               

At the top of the stairs, Cas paused in the doorway to one of the three bedrooms.  Dean came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and hooking his chin over the man’s shoulder.

“It’s big.  Bigger than our current bedroom, and I thought that was pretty big.”

“I just don’t like the carpet.  I hate the carpet in the condo, always intended to get it pulled up, but I don’t know how to do that, and between work, school, and family obligations, I didn’t have the time to hire someone else to do it,”  Cas said.  “But I like the windows.”  He took Dean by the hand and they walked into the room.  Dean went to check out the closet space while Cas went to see what the windows overlooked.

“Walk in closet.  Nice.  Might actually fit all of our stuff.”  Dean tested the light.  It worked.

“This isn’t the master bedroom.  That’s at the end of the hall.”  Cas was busy checking the windows, making sure they all opened and closed properly.  The view was of the empty field next door since the house was a bit out in the country, just like they’d wanted.

“This room is huge and it’s _not_ the master?”  Dean sounded excited by that.  Cas turned to look at him, smiling at his enthusiasm.

“Let’s go check out the master, then the other bedroom across the hall.”

Dean led the way, stopping off first to check out the bathroom.  It was about the size of the one in their condo, but had been recently updated.  Cas liked that there was a window that opened, and a deep enough well that he could put a plant on the sill to get some sun.  It was in neutral shades of white and gray, with brushed chrome accents.  Dean loved that.

From there they moved on to the master bedroom.  Cas let out a small gasp while Dean’s jaw dropped.  The room was massive, spanning the entire back of the second floor.  There was no carpet, and the hardwood floors were absolutely perfect.  Cas immediately noticed that instead of windows there were sliding doors that led out onto a deck.  He hurried to open them and stepped outside.  This bedroom offered a stunning view of the mountains in the distance.

“Cas, the master bath has a clawfoot tub!”  Dean exclaimed from the bathroom.

“Get out here and check this out!  We’d have our own deck!”  Cas stuck his head back into the room and called out excitedly to him.  Dean walked back into the bedroom, his eyes widening in excitement.

“Dude!  This is amazing!”  He stepped out onto the deck and took a long time checking the wood, making sure nothing was warped or at risk of cracking if they were both outside at the same time, especially if they added patio furniture.  He was sure Bobby had already checked it out, but he liked looking for himself.  Everything seemed sturdy.

“Go check out the bathroom.  It’s even better than the main bath,” he said.  Cas went through the bedroom and into the bathroom while Dean checked the sliding doors. They were older, but the seals looked good. He knew they could update the doors, and he could do the job himself with a little help.

“Dean, this bathroom is fantastic!  I might never want to come out!”  Cas loved it.  It was white and gray like the other bathroom, but the gray in here was darker.  The brushed chrome accents were even nicer, and the toilet was newer.  The tub was big enough to fit two grown men, with some room to spare.  In the corner was a separate shower and it had a his and hers sink too.  There were cabinets, enough to store lots of towels and other supplies.  It was brightly lit, with a skylight and a window, this one having a deep well too where Cas could put plants.

“Told you it was great.  I can see us taking long baths in here together.”  Dean was standing in the doorway and he waggled his eyebrows, which got Cas laughing.

“I like the idea of that.  There’s so much we could do to decorate in here too.”

“Come here, the closet is a walk in, and it’s twice as big as the one in the other bedroom.”  Dean held out his hand, and Cas went to take it.  They returned to the bedroom, and over to the closet.

“Wow.”  Cas looked up, noticing a square in the ceiling.  “Is that an electrical access panel or does this house have an attic?”

Dean grabbed the little loop and pulled.  A staircase was tucked inside so he pulled that down too.  Climbing up enough that he could poke his head into the space, Dean went to look and see what was up there.

“Babe, give me your phone, would you?  I left mine in the car.  I need a light.”

Cas put the flashlight on and handed the phone up to him.

“What do you see?”

“Well, it’s more of a crawl space than a full attic, but we could always add dormers later and turn it into an attic.  Or we could put a staircase in the hall and make rooms up there for guests.”  Dean came back down the stairs.  “Or our kids?”

Cas smiled as Dean handed him back his phone.

“How much would that cost?”

“I’m guessing probably around $70,000, but I can do most of the work myself, and I bet Bobby knows people that can get me the materials at cost or close to cost.  That will cut things down probably by half.”  Dean closed the stairs and then let the door close itself.  “What do you think though?”

“I think,” Cas wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and leaned into him.  “That we will need to have at least two guest bedrooms, and another bathroom up there.  I want our kids on the same floor as us, in case of illnesses or anything like that.”

Dean smiled as he wrapped him up in his arms and kissed him.

“Shall we look at the rest of the house?”

“I’m already in love, but yes.  And I want to see how the basement looks.”  Cas replied.

“And the kitchen.  I want to see if it’s as big as it looks in the pictures.”

As they descended the stairs and made their way back to the living room, Dean was already pretty sure they were going to buy this house.  It already felt like exactly where they belonged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Cas fell in love with the fireplace in the master bedroom and the one in the living room.  There was a den and a small room he wanted to turn into an office, just off the kitchen.  Beyond that, Dean was excited to discuss with Bobby exactly how he wanted to remodel the kitchen.  It didn’t need a full remodeling, mostly just some new appliances and cabinet doors.  The counters were fairly new, marble, and there was plenty of space for cooking and baking.  Cas couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so much, or felt so relaxed.  He loved the house, but so did Dean.

The basement was huge, but not finished.  Dean felt that he could fix it up himself.  Cas worried that he was planning to take on too many projects by himself.  He fully intended to help as much as possible.  Together they could really make this house a home.  As they made their way out to the yard, he already knew he wanted this house.  It sat on 10 acres of mostly wildflowers and trees, but the surrounding land, from what the Realtor said, was for sale as well.  He liked the idea that they could possibly buy more acreage over time.

There was a garage and a barn, and he knew Dean was imagining turning the barn into his own home workshop.  It was huge, with stalls for the horses some previous owner had kept, and Cas saw them more as bays for the cars Dean would work on.  Some insulation, an overhead door or two, and the place would be great.

“So what do you think, babe?”  Dean was standing in the middle of a field of wildflowers, the bees and butterflies moving lazily around his legs.  It gave Cas pause for a moment.  He’d never seen him look as beautiful as he did in that moment.

“I think it’s amazing.  I could look at this view forever.”

Dean smiled wide and looked back towards the mountains behind him.  He agreed, this was something he could get used to looking at every day, for the rest of his life.  When he turned back around he saw Cas crouching down to investigate some tiny white flowers.

“I think we should make an offer.”  Cas looked up at him, the sunlight hitting him in such a way that his eyes looked almost like they were glowing.

“Yeah?  That’s what I was thinking too.  None of the fixes it needs are major.  Bobby says new plumbing is needed, but I can do that myself.  The attic isn’t urgent, and I can take my time with the basement.”  Dean walked over to him and he stood back up to face him.  “But I think there’s something important we need to talk about first.”

Cas tilted his head and smiled.

“I’m wondering if it’s the same thing that’s been on my mind.”

Dean laughed as he pulled him into a kiss.

“Probably is.  I was thinking.  Bobby lined up the location for the new shop, and it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than I expected, and this house, man, it’s perfect for us.  We can start a family here, don’t you think?”

“I do.  I love you, Dean.”  Cas slid one of the little white flowers he’d picked into Dean’s hair, just over his ear.  “I want to marry you.  And I want to do it here, at the house.  Maybe next summer, or the summer after, when we’re ready for guests.  I want babies, Dean.  I think our kids would grow up happy here.”

Dean kissed him again.

“How rude, stealing my thunder like that.  I even had a ring.”  He teased.  Cas’ blue eyes grew large as saucers.

“You-you were going to propose?  For real?”

Dean reached into his back pocket and pulled a little box out.

“Darn right I was.  You just beat me to it.”  He was grinning as he opened the box.  Tucked inside was a silver band.  There was a design on it but Cas was too overwhelmed by the fact that Dean was presenting him with a ring, and wanted to marry him.  He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto his left ring finger.

“It’s gorgeous, I love it.  I love _you_.”  He kissed Dean softly.  “And for the record, this is me saying yes.”

Dean chuckled before kissing him again.

“What are you two fools out here doing?  You’re supposed to be checking out the land, not making out.”  Bobby was standing on the deck with his arms crossed and one eyebrow cocked.  Dean grinned up at him.

“It’s gorgeous out here.  We want the house.”

Bobby snorted.  “Knew you would.”

“We’re getting married.  Dean just proposed.  Well, I did it first but he one upped me with a ring,”  Cas said with a laugh.  A smile rose up on Bobby’s lips.

“Nice spot for a wedding, don’t you agree?”

Dean slung an arm around Cas’ shoulders and kissed his temple.

“That’s exactly what we were thinking.”

 


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. I hope you have enjoyed the story and the rollercoaster ride it took you on.

[ ](http://imgur.com/kPnpiDp)

 

They made an offer on the house, and Dean put the down payment on the new shop, which was less than 10 miles from the house.  After visiting with Bobby and Karen for a few days, they headed home.  There was much to be done before they could actually move.

                                                                                               

The new school semester was starting in the first week of September, so the rush was on to pack and start getting their affairs in order.  Sam had a down payment for the condo, which Cas then applied towards the down payment on the house in South Dakota.  Dean got his staff in order, replacing Tessa and making arrangements with Benny to send him the invoices once a week.  Charlie set up a computer program so both shops would be linked once the second one was up and running.

While negotiations continued on the house in South Dakota, Cas went down to the club at Cole’s invite.  It was the third week in August, and he was leaving the next day with Dean to go move in temporarily with Bobby and Karen.  He greeted Victor at the door with a hug, and then it was like slipping back in time.  Balthazar was at the bar, serving drinks while Ruby and Ginny did a slow, erotic dance on stage.  Other dancers were serving, and when he caught Coles’ eye, his friend winked and nodded towards a table in his serving area.  Cas smiled as he wound his way through the meager crowd and sat down.  It was only a few minutes before Cole was walking over with a huge smile on his face.

“So I hear congratulations are in order.”                                                         

Cas grinned and held up his left hand.

“I told you he was the one.”

Cole patted him on the shoulder.  “I’m happy for you.  Everyone here is.  Shane came in here a few weeks back all excited because his brother was getting married.  Course we all knew it was to you.”  He nodded to Crowley who was doing his usual rounds before pulling a chair out and joining his friend.  “Did you get the house you guys were looking at?”

“Not yet.  I really hope we do.  We have so many plans for it.  I can’t wait for you to bring the family up for a visit.  The kids will love running around outside.  It’s safe and absolutely beautiful there.”  Cas had told all of his friends that they were welcome to come and visit, and he knew they’d make good on the offer.  Even Crowley.

“You’ll get it, I’m sure of it.”  Cole cocked his head and smirked.  “I invited you down here for three reasons.”

“Oh?  Not just to have me here at the club one last time before I move out of state?”  Cas asked with a laugh.  Cole chuckled.

“That’s part of it.  I’m glad that you were able to come down here and have it be completely safe for you.  I think this is the most relaxed I’ve seen you here in years.  I’d forgotten you could even be that chill,” he teased.  Cas smiled happily as he looked around.  The atmosphere seemed more relaxed overall.  Patrick really had put everyone on edge for a long time.

“I’m happy.  I have a better job than what I had at SIU, I’m trying to buy a house that seriously, it’s like the house of my dreams, and I’m engaged to the most perfect man in the world.  Things are going really, really well.  So I guess I am pretty relaxed.”

“The second reason why I invited you down here is because it’s your birthday, or it _was_.  I know we got together at Anna’s and barbecued, but others that wanted to be there had missed out.  They’re all here tonight.”  Cole pointed to other dancers who waved.  Cas smiled and waved back.

“Well thank you.  It’s nice that everyone wanted to celebrate with me.  Does that mean I get a free drink tonight?”

“You get your drinks free the whole night,”  Cole told him.

“Even better!”  Cas slapped the table and laughed.

“I’ll get you one in a sec.  In the meantime, the third reason I got you down here was to congratulate you on your engagement.  I’m your best man, right?”

Cas couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed this much.

“Of course you are.  Gabe and Anna are giving me away.”

“Good.  Well, as your best man, I have a gift for you.”  Cole got to his feet and motioned to Balthazar to bring Cas’ favorite drink.

“A gift?  You didn’t have to get me anything.”  Cas was humbled, but he also appreciated his friend very much.

“Oh, you’re going to want this one.  It’s definitely something you’re going to love.”  Cole has a wicked grin going on that had Cas wondering what the heck he was up to.

“I’m intrigued.”

“Good.  Here comes Balth with your drink now.  Sit back, get comfortable, we have some special things planned for you tonight.”  Cole winked and then he was leaving, returning to his task of serving.

Balthazar arrived with the drink and set it down in front of him.  He smiled when he spotted the ring on Cas’ finger.

“Marrying Mr. Tall, Freckled, and Sexy, are we?  I’m happy for you, darling.  He’s good for you.  We’re all going to miss you when you’re gone.”

“I’ll stop in when I get the chance.  I’ll miss you guys too much to never come back here.  Plus, you know Dean and I have invited everyone to come up and stay with us.  The house, if we get it, sits on 10 acres of land.  If we end up not getting that house, we’re looking into an actual ranch.  It’s more expensive, but needs less work, so it sort of evens out.  Either way, there will be a fantastic view and space for people to visit.  That’s important to us,”  Cas told him.

“I’ll try to take you up on that offer at some point.  Perhaps I’ll get Victor or Jesse to make the drive with me.”  Balthazar tapped a finger against the table.  “I’d love to chat more, but I have new patrons waiting.  Come talk to me at the bar later, ok?”

“Sure,” Cas told him. He watched his friend leave before turning his attention to his drink and the stage.  Jake was up there, doing a strip to an Adina Howard song, which got Cas chuckling. “Freak Like Me” suited the man.

“Hello, _James_.”

He looked up in time to see Crowley taking Cole’s empty seat.

“Hello to you.”

“How have you been?  Everything packed for the move?”  Crowley looked at Jake for a moment before turning back to Cas.

“Yes, and we shipped everything out there already.  Tonight Dean and I are splurging and spending the night in a hotel.  Neither of us want to sleep on the floor at the condo,”  Cas replied.

“I have to agree with you there.  My days of sleeping on the floor are long over.”  Crowley pointed at his shoulder.  “How are you healing?”

Cas rolled his shoulder, something he’d been able to do with more ease lately.  His healing was slower going than Dean’s since the bullet had gone through his scapula and torn his muscle all to hell in the process.  But, it didn’t hurt much now.

“Still healing.  No more back flips for me,” he joked.  Crowley’s expression was serious as he leaned an elbow on the table.

“I’m truly glad that you are alright.  I was following it on the news when it was happening, and it worried the hell out of me.  I have a confession.”

Cas was sipping at his drink but he cocked an eyebrow as he put it down.

“Oh?”

“I went in search of that bastard, John Winchester.”

That was the last thing Cas expected.

“Fergus, that was a really bad idea.  He was armed!”

Crowley smirked.  “And you think I wasn’t?  Didn’t find the bastard, though I had an idea of where he was heading.  A few of us went looking for him.  Never did find him.  Then I saw the news.”

Cas looked blankly out over the crowd as he spoke.  “He’s dead.  They found his car abandoned in a convenience store parking lot about a week after the shooting and about two weeks ago, a guy cleaning his shed out came across John’s body.  He’d broken into it.  The police think he knew he was dying, so he went in there to die alone.  Dean says the fact that they found an open first aid kit on the floor next to him says otherwise.  He thinks John went in there to try and patch himself up, but he was bleeding too severely and died.  They found him lying on his side with his hand pressed against the hole in his face.  There was a thick cotton pad between his hand and the wound, so he was trying still to stop the bleeding.  They found blood in his lungs and stomach.”  Absently he swirled the little red straw around in his drink as he thought.  “I shot him in the face.  I will have to live the rest of my life with the knowledge that I killed a man.”

“You did the world a favor.  Many lives were saved because of you.  If he’s dead, he can’t hurt that lovely wife of his, or his sons.”

That was the same thing Cas’ therapist had told him.  It made him feel a little better knowing no one else condemned him for it.  It had come down to his life, or John’s, and he had fired back to save his own life.  Realizing that didn’t make him the villain had had been difficult to accept, but he eventually he had.  Especially knowing Kate and Adam were safe.

Crowley motioned to one of the servers, and a moment later a drink was set down in front of him.  “Aside from that, how is everything else going?  I heard you’re buying a house.”

For the next half hour or so they chatted about things going on with the house, with the new job, with Dean’s new shop, and things going on at the club.  Ruby replaced Jake, and Cole replaced Ginny up on the stage.  Then the music changed.  Strobe lights began to flash, and Cas’ attention was diverted back to the stage.

“That’s new, when did you start doing strobe lights?  You have to be careful, some people might have epilepsy.”

“There are warnings posted on the outside of the building and on every table.  It’s clearly marked.  If someone has a seizure in here knowing in advance that we occasionally use a strobe light, the fault is with them, not my establishment,”  Crowley explained.  Cas looked at the sign on the table and sure enough, there was the warning, in large, bold print.  And in three different languages, so people couldn’t claim they didn’t see it.  He looked up at the stage.  It was Sam, dressed as a police officer, complete with hat and billy club, though he was doing some pretty sexual things with the club.

It was a little strange to watch his future brother-in-law dancing, so he removed himself from that train of thought.  This was just another dancer, doing his bit, trying to earn some money.  He noticed for the first time that Sam and Jake had similar builds.  Both men were tall and thin, even with the muscles.  Dean was…thicker, but not in a bad way.  He just had more meat on his bones.  Dean’s body was perfect, as far as Cas was concerned.  He’d been working out more lately and eating better.  Cas actually was a little disappointed by the new muscle that covered his fiancé’s abdomen and arms.  It wasn’t as soft and squishy as he liked when he tried to cuddle.

Suddenly the lights dropped.  The strobe and all lights on the stage went dark.  Cas leaned forward, interested to see where Sam was going with this routine.  It was a Friday, but there wasn’t a particularly large crowd tonight.  That was surprising.  The room was silent though, everyone watching the stage in expectation.  A single light came back on, revealing a man straddling a chair.  He had his back to the room but it was obvious that this wasn’t Sam.

“Who’s that?”  Cas asked.  Crowley just smirked and looked up at the stage.

The music shifted again and “Earned It” by The Weeknd began to play.  Cas loved this song, and he was a little excited to see what dance routine was going to be done to it.  The man in the chair rose slowly, his hips rolling fluidly to the beat.  His body was nice.  He wore a pair of black pants that clung to his hips and ass, and a white dress shirt, rolled up to the elbows, and the entire outfit put his body on display.  His back was still to the crowd and he felt a little guilty as he ogled the man’s ass.  It was hard not to with it right there on display, but then again, that was the point of stripping.

The song was sexy and as the chorus began the man simultaneously swiveled the chair around and dropped back down onto it, this time facing the crowd.

“Oh my _God_!”  Cas’ hands flew up to his cheeks as his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.  It was _Dean_!  That was his _fiancé_ dancing up there!  Crowley grinned at him.

“Knew he’d be stunning up there.”

“How…what…Dean!”  Cas couldn’t form a coherent sentence, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the stage.  Dean had spotted him and as he rose up from the chair to a standing position, he winked right at him.

“Fuck!”  Cas hissed under his breath.  He’d never been interested in being on the receiving end of a strip, but he sure as hell was now!  He shifted slightly as his pants had suddenly become too tight.

Up on the stage Dean was slowly unbuttoning his shirt, and for someone that generally had no rhythm, he was actually keeping with the beat.  People were cheering and throwing money at him already.  It was adorable how Dean blushed as compliments were hurled up at him about how sexy and gorgeous he was.  The shirt fell open and he let it slip off one shoulder.  Cas chugged the rest of his drink and a few seconds later another one was set down in front of him.  He wasn’t even sure who had brought it because he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Dean.  It was thrilling knowing that Dean couldn’t take his eyes off him either.  He rolled his hips, keeping time with the music as he pulled the shirt off.  This was the sexiest thing Cas had ever seen, and all he could think about was how he was desperate to get Dean back to their hotel room, strip him down, and ravage his body.

Dean flexed, showing off his newly achieved abs (NOW Cas understood the reasoning behind all of the recent exercising), and slid the shirt off his other shoulder before letting it slip off.  He tossed it behind him and slowly moved his hands down his chest to his stomach.  From here the scar left from where the bullet went in was barely visible over the top of the tight, black pants.  It was more noticeable if Dean were to turn around, and he assumed that was why Dean remained facing forward now that he was exposed.  His hands came to rest on the waistband of his pants.  They were tear away, but for the sake of dragging out a strip, they did sometimes have a working button and zipper, and Dean’s fingers were already opening the button and sliding the zipper down.  He waggled his eyebrows at Cas before yanking the pants off, revealing a lacy pair of teal, boycut panties.  His hands slid down over his body as he did a full body roll.  He swung a leg back over the chair and dropped back down into it.  With one last, slow, sensual roll of his hips, the song came to an end, and the light on the stage went out.

Cas was on his feet whistling and clapping until his hands and shoulder ached.  Leaving Crowley standing there watching him in amusement, he hurried to the staircase he knew Dean would be coming down.  Dean smiled wide when he spotted him.

“Happy birthday, baby,”  Dean said as Cas threw himself at him.

“That was so hot!  Fuck, I just want to go back to the hotel right now and strip you down and-”

Dean chuckled as he listened to all the things Cas wanted to do to him.  A few things brought a fresh blush to his cheeks.  This was the most enthusiastic Cas had been about sex since he’d gotten his stitches out, and he wasn’t going to deny him.

“I know, sweetheart, but the party hasn’t even started yet.”  Dean kissed his forehead softly.

“What?  Party?”

Dean peeked around the corner, so Cas did too.  He gasped when he saw all of their friends, including the guys from the garage.  Even Gabe, Anna and Jeremy had come, though Jeremy looked incredibly uncomfortable.  It was almost comical.

“Oh my God!  You threw me a birthday party?!”

“I wanted your last one here to be something special that you’d remember.  This place was like home for you for a long time, plus most of your friends are here.  Crowley shut the club down.  The people in here had until 9 p.m. to leave.  It’s ours for the rest of the night.”  Dean pulled him close and kissed him.

“Thank you.  I still want to bend you over and fuck you so hard you can’t walk tomorrow.  Do you feel this?”  Cas grabbed his hand and pressed it against the bulge in his pants.  Dean’s eyes darkened.

“Do you know how hard it was up there, dancing, seeing you looking at me like you wanted to eat me alive and trying _not_ to get hard?”

Cas laughed.  “Of course I do!  Every time I knew you were in the audience watching me, it was a struggle!”

“Well, Crowley said I could take you to one of those rooms in the back, where he’s now letting dancers do private dances.  Something new he’s experimenting with.  The rules are, no touching and no sex, but he says as long as we don’t _say_ we had sex in his club, we can do anything we want in there.”  Dean’s fingers toyed with the zipper on Cas’ jeans as he talked, and it was only making him harder.

“Yeah, that sounds awesome.  I do not have any lube though.”

“I already thought of that, babe.  I put a bottle in there, and I disabled the cameras.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”  Cas asked.  Dean grinned and kissed him one more time before leading him to the rooms in question.  This was going to be fantastic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Where are Dean and Cas?”  Anna asked when 20 minutes later they had not returned.

                            

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”  Cole chuckled and swept the baby carrot in his hand through the ranch dressing on his plate.  Anna had brought a vegetable tray, among other things, and now everyone was kicking back, relaxing and listening to the music playing.

“I had no idea Dean was a dancer too.”  Jeremy was still trying to make himself comfortable.  It really wasn’t working.  At least all of the dancers had changed into regular clothes.  That helped to make things less awkward.

“Oh, he’s not.  He called me a couple months back, asked me what was something epic he could do for Cas’ birthday.  We went back and forth for a while until I suggested he do a strip for Cas.  He was completely against the idea of it, but I talked him into it.  He thought he was fat though, so he started working out hardcore, and then I met up with him a couple of times a week until he got his routine down pat.  He chose the song because it’s one of Cas’ favorites, but we had to keep the routine really simple because he was incredibly nervous up there, and very self-conscious.  Plus he’s uncoordinated,”  Cole laughed.  Anna giggled and even Jeremy smiled.

“No wonder why he pretty much stood in one spot and just moved his hips!”  Anna snickered behind her hand.

“It was enough to get Cas’ engine revving though.  He’s been having some issues with intimacy since…”  Cole frowned.  Maybe this wasn’t something to talk to a minister’s wife about.  Anna, however, nodded.

“I know.  He called me in tears a few times.  There were some genuine fears that Dean would leave him over it.  Therapy has helped a ton, and their therapist actually found an equally good one and referred them to her up in South Dakota.  So they can continue to heal,” she said.

“Good.  Cas looked so lost for a while there.  He wouldn’t talk about what happened, and I didn’t want to push, but they sort of said it on the news, or at least heavily hinted at it.  All Cas would say was that he wasn’t raped.  I know the therapy has helped a lot.  It’s good to see him smiling again and not looking like there’s something horrible weighing on his mind,”  Cole said.  “I’m going to miss him when he’s gone.  He’s my best friend.”

“Cas is a good man, and he is working towards healing his mind and his body.  It’s wonderful knowing he has friends that support him and care,”  Jeremy said.

Sam had wandered over, hearing bits and pieces of their conversation, but he was on a mission.  He passed them by in search of Gabe, and found the man up at the bar.

“Hey.”

Gabe looked up, smiling warmly.  It was nice to see less and less doubt in his eyes the more time they spent together.  Sam sat down beside him.

“I’m guessing the birthday boy is somewhere in the back getting plowed by his fiancé,”  Gabe chuckled.  Sam looked over towards the doors leading to the new private rooms.

“I think that judging by the predatory look on Cas’ face as he watched Dean dancing, it’s the other way around.”

“Was Dean wearing _panties_?”  Gabe asked.  Sam turned back around to face him.

“I don’t know.  They make that stuff for guys now too.  What I do know is he refused to wear a thong.”

“Can’t say I blame him, those things are awful.”  Gabe had a drink in front of him and he picked it up to take a sip.

“You’ve worn thongs?”  Sam arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Wouldn’t _you_ like to know,”  Gabe replied with a snort.  Sam broke out in laughter.

“Actually, yeah, I would.  What are you going to do about that?”

Gabe nearly choked on his drink.  He set it down and looked up at the man in disbelief.

“What?”

“Can we stop doing this dance?  I think I’ve made it clear that I want you.  I don’t want casual sex, so you ought to know already that I want something long term, and I want it with you. I care very much about you, Gabe. You were a dick in the beginning, but I get why. Now I know you’re one of the most caring men I’ve ever known, and I don’t know exactly when I started to fall in love with you, but I’m aware of it now. I know you don’t see yourself as anything special, but I disagree.  I think you’re wonderful.”  Sam poured his heart out to the man, while wide, shocked amber eyes stared back.

“Well, seems charm and passion run in the Campbell genes,”  Balthazar teased as he set a drink down in front of Sam.  Sam grinned at him before turning a more earnest look on Gabe.

“You can’t seriously be in love with an asshole like me.”

“I am.  In love with an asshole like you,”  Sam said firmly.

“You’re….beautiful,” Gabe blurted. A bright smile broke out over Sam’s face.

“So are you.”

Sam found his hand and pulled it into his lap.  When he threaded their fingers together, Gabe didn’t pull away.  Instead, he moved closer.

“I’m dying to kiss you.  I think I have the advantage while you’re sitting.”  He said as he stood up.  Sam chuckled and looked at him expectantly.

“Well?  What are you waiting for?”

Using his free hand, Gabe grabbed the front of Sam’s tee shirt and pulled him close enough to bring their mouths together.

“Score!”  Balthazar clapped happily, making them both laugh.

“I love you too, Sam,”  Gabe said softly.  “I think I have for longer than I realized.”

“Shut up and kiss me like you mean it,”  Sam smiled.  Gabe was happy to oblige.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Cas led Dean to the locker room where his clothes were waiting, and where they could both rinse off real quick.  Once Dean was dressed, they went back out to the club to find everyone dancing to techno music.

                                     

“Oh, God, I could never work here if they listened to this crap all the time,”  Dean grimaced.

“It’s not always that bad.  Mostly I used to tune it out.  I listened for the cues that told me when to dance, and to the music for my performances.  Anything else I just ignored.”  Cas took his hand and led him right into the throng of people currently dancing.  He smiled and nudged Dean when he saw Anna and Jeremy dancing.  They looked adorable.

“Hey, look at that.”  Dean pointed to where Sam was currently giving Gabe a lap dance.

“Oh.  Eww.”  Cas wrinkled his nose when his brother grabbed Sam’s ass and pulled him closer.  “I might have retinal scarring after seeing that.”

Dean laughed and pulled Cas against him.

“I love you, babe.”

Cas felt a small flash of pain as he lifted both arms to wrap them around Dean’s neck.

“I love you too.  More than anything in the world.”

The music shifted and a wide grin rose up on Cas’ face when Ginuwine’s “Pony” began to play.  Dean’s eyes darkened as Cas began to move his hips to the music.

“Don’t you dare strip.  I know for a _fact_ you’re not wearing any underwear!”  Despite Dean’s warning, the lust was clearly heard in his voice.  Cas gave him a flirty smile before turning his back to him, still moving with the beat of the music.  He dropped his upper body down and slowly slid his hands up his legs as he returned to a standing position.

“Backflips might be out of the question, at least for a while yet, but I still got the moves.”  He winked and spun around, grabbing Dean’s ass and pulling him forward so they were completely pressed against one another.

 “Fuck, I could watch you dance every day, for the rest of my life and never grow bored.”  Rather than fight against it, he caught on to the rhythm of Cas’ body and matched it, moving with him.  It was hot.

“Dancing every day?  I don’t know….”  Cas teased.

 “As long as I have you forever, I’m ok without seeing you dance every day.”  Dean pulled him close and kissed him.  Cas melted into it.

 “You definitely have me forever.”

 

 

[](http://imgur.com/F87EJgb) [](http://imgur.com/BtNNCW5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that read this. I truly hope that you enjoyed it. Comments and kudos are always welcome. 
> 
> You can view all of the art for this story here:https://imgur.com/a/IA74M

**Author's Note:**

> Patience, it will take me several hours to get every chapter up. Thank you for your patience!


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